Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Friends and family of the Koopa throne. . .”

Smoulder tuned out the rest of that statement, much happier to kick his feet off the chair that he was forced to sit in. He honestly had no clue why any of them were even here in the first place. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday, and Uncle Junior’s coronation happened. . . A couple of months ago. (His sense of time wasn’t very clear yet.) 

The magikoopa at the stand droned on and on about accomplishments, using words too big for Smoulder to understand. 

He was bored. Why did he have to sit here again?

He gazed across the large room, catching sight of the twins next to their lanky father. Uncle Iggy. They looked just about as bored as he was.

“Papa?” Smoulder shook his father’s big paw, gazing up at his stone cold face. That face he always had when it came to important matters. He was careful to keep his voice quiet. He didn’t want to upset him, after all. “Can I go play with the twins?”

A deep growl rumbled from his father. Smoulder shrunk a little in his seat. 

“Not now.” He grunted, then said nothing more.

“Today is a great tragedy, but one that has been a long time coming.”

Tragedy. Smoulder knew that word. He learned it in his grammar class. That meant sad, right? Was this a sad day? Explained why everyone was so serious. Even Uncle Lemmy. And he was always smiling about something. Iggy seemed a bit off, too. . .

“But we must not allow ourselves to fall into despair over our old king. Instead, let us celebrate the good he did for us all. Let us remember him fondly, as he deserves.”

Old king? Was this about grandpa?

Smoulder hadn’t gotten to know his Grandpa Bowser very well. Smoulder couldn’t really be around him much, given how far away the desert was to the Koopa Kingdom. Despite that all, he did want to spend more time with him. His dad told him all kinds of stories of him smashing plumbers into the ground and beating up whoever threatened the kingdom.

Apparently, he was a beast in his prime, but age had worn him down to the point where he stepped aside for his son. It wasn’t often a koopa king stepped down willingly. Often, he’d have to be forced off by some committee or whatever it was called. Or get killed. There were a lot of stories of thrones being taken forcefully.

Smoulder never really paid attention to the lessons about how the kingdom worked, as much as he was encouraged to. He was rather content with the idea of simply ruling a small branch of the army. But maybe that would change with age. 

“I will now step aside, and allow for the King to say a few words, himself.”

Maybe afterwards, he’d get to play with the twins. Or Pebble, but she was too little to be roughhousing. Mama always called it improper of a lady, but he knew how much it made his sister upset. There weren’t a ton of girls in the family, except for Malivia. But she lived on the other side of the continent. 

Junior stepped up in place of that old Koopa, and began to speak slowly. Carefully. In fact, it almost seemed like he was about ready to. . . Cry? Adults never cried. ESPECIALLY not the king of the koopas!

Smoulder looked to his father again, only to see that he looked sad, too. In fact. . . Most of the adults in the room looked sad. Not serious. Serious and sad were two different things.

Smoulder placed his paw on his father’s, hoping that offered him some kind of comfort. He always comforted the rest of them when they were sad. Sometimes. 

His dad simply stared. Unmoving. 

It was like Smoulder didn't exist in this current moment.

. . .

The ceremony ended after another hour of speeches. His dad even went up to say a few words. Smoulder wasn’t really paying attention. He did notice, however, that his Uncle Larry was gone. For what reason, Smoulder had no clue.

Whenever he’d waddle up to one of his Uncles to ask, they’d either wave him off, or snarl and say something weird that didn’t make sense. Aunt Wendy gave the best answer, Smoulder thought. 

“He couldn’t make it.” Was all she said. It was good enough for him.

At least now, he could actually talk to his cousins!

Most of them had the same, general consensus. That ceremony was boring and sad!

“I’ve never seen dad cry like that.” Said Bolt in a low voice, fidgeting with his paws. 

“My papa never cries at all!” Baron loudly proclaimed, clenching his small fists together.

“Nuh uh!” Pebble retorted, poking Baron on the snout. “I saw it! He did! He did cry!”

“NO! NO HE DIDN’T! MY PAPA IS THE KING!” The prince shouted, small embers flying from his mouth. “KINGS DON’T CRY!”

The two kids began a heated argument that even Smoulder didn’t have the energy for, so he wandered off in search for his other family members. His older brothers were off in different corners. Boulder, his snout buried in a coloring book, and Morto, who had his back to everyone.

They both looked busy, so he wandered up the long hallways of the castle, head upturned. The desert stronghold was large, but not nearly as big as the koopa castle. Smoulder would almost want to live here, but it was always so loud. He liked the silence of the small tower he shared with some of his siblings.

Against one of the walls, he spotted Malivia playing some game with her toadette dolls. Smoulder scrunched his nose up, and kept walking. Dolls were for girls.

Nothing was here unless he wanted to go outside, but Smoulder wasn’t allowed to unless he had Morto with him.

Just as he was about to turn back around to head back to the chapel, a flash of blue caught his eye. Peaking over the windows of the castle, he caught his eldest cousin, LJ in the gardens.

There was always an air of mystery when it came to LJ. His dad, Ludwig, was already mysterious enough, and that seemed to carry over to his only son.

Well, if Smoulder was going to talk to him, now seemed like the perfect day to do it. 

With a skip in his stumpy little legs, Smoulder strolled on out to the garden. It seemed LJ was knelt down, looking at some odd, stone structure in the center of it all. As the young koopa approached, he realized the area was taped off. He recognized that tape well, his father's warnings echoing in his mind.

Was this a construction zone? Why was LJ sitting right in front of it?

“Uhm. . .” Smoulder’s voice came out small and weak. “LJ? What are you doing out here?”

His cousin didn’t respond. Simply sat in silence as he gazed at a particular part on the stone piece. 

“LJ. . .” Smoulder called out again, legs carrying him forward just a bit. 

Again. Silence.

The koopa took a step forward yet again, gaze drawn to what his older cousin was looking at. It was writing, he realized. He wasn’t the best reader in the world, but he knew enough to read what the text read.

In loving memory: King Bowser Koopa I

An amazing king, and an even greater father. 

. . . Oh.

Smoulder’s shoulders slumped a little. Was this why they were here today? Smoulder hadn’t even realized that Grandpa was. . .

“Funny. Isn’t it?”

Smoulder jumped, not expecting LJ to speak so suddenly. His voice was deeper than what he remembered. 

“You barely knew him. . . And yet you’re the only one out here now. You, and not anyone else.” There was pain behind that tone. Smoulder didn’t know what to say to that.

“Uhm. . . LJ? Are you. . . Okay?” Smoulder tried, small legs shaking. He didn’t know why, but every bone in his small body was screaming at him to run away as fast as he could.

LJ stood suddenly, earning a small yelp out of the young koopa. He was much taller than Smoulder remembered, too. A lot scarier. It wasn't too different from the tall cacti he'd see in the desert. 

Then he turned, his bright red eyes boring into Smoulder’s soul, and fear paralyzed the young koopa. The tears in LJ’s eyes only served to make his eyes glow brighter. More intensely. 

“Believe me, dear cousin. I will be. I will be okay.” A chuckle rumbled in the older koopa’s chest, as tears streamed down his face. Smoulder took an instinctive step back. 

“I’ll. . . I’ll make everything okay again, just you wait.”

Smoulder staggered back again, feeling that itchy feeling in the back of his throat that only happened when he was about to release a jet of fire. No! What did papa say? Breathe deep. Get your emotions under control. Don’t show fear. Don’t-

“Don’t look at me like that, Smoulder! You- You’re looking at me like I’m wrong! Like I’m crazy! Like I’m not- Not supposed to feel like this!” LJ snarled suddenly, smoke rising from his nostrils. “How could you EVER understand me!? You little brat!!”

LJ pointed aggressively towards the castle, smoke obscuring everything but his bright, red eyes. “GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”

Smoulder didn’t have to be told twice. He booked it straight inside, crying all the way. A few adults approached him and asked him what was wrong, but he couldn’t say. What if LJ got mad? He didn’t want that. Not at all.

So he sat next to his oldest brother, Morto. He didn’t seem to even acknowledge Smoulder was there, but he already felt safer.

They’d be going home soon, anyway. And then, he could pretend that none of that ever happened.

. . .

LJ watched as Smoulder ran for the building, crying all the way. What a baby. LJ would almost feel bad, but not right now. Not when he had just gotten the best idea of his entire life.

Bowser was gone. Dead. In his place, a handful of adults who made no effort to understand him, and a gaggle of kids with a collective brain cell. His best friend had abandoned him long ago, so who else did he have?

No one. No one but his dead grandfather.

His grandfather who, on multiple occasions, has risen from the dead. Of course, this time would be different. Resurrection spells only worked if the magic was strong enough, and it happened relatively soon after they died.

But it wasn’t impossible. LJ knew it wasn’t. He’d find a way. A way to bring his grandfather back. 

He wouldn’t have to mourn. Not if he was alive. 

He’d find a way, if it was the last thing he’d ever do.

Chapter Text

Map of Kingdom

Royal Koopa Family

(Small note: Despite the fact that none of them are related, they still treat each other as family, and everyone acts as such. So while most of the kids aren't actual princes/princesses, most of the time, they are treated/addressed as such.)

King Bowser Koopa II

King Larry Koopa

Lord Morton Koopa II

Lady Wendy O Koopa

Lord Iggy Koopa

Lord Roy Koopa

Lord Lemmy Koopa

Lord Ludwig Von Koopa

Prince Clarence Koopa: Son of King Larry Koopa

Age: 19

Personality: Cocky son of a bitch. His father seized the mushroom throne for himself, making Clarence the rightful heir as Larry’s one, and only son. He’s got a pretty big ego about it. His pride is a thinly veiled attempt to hide his own cowardice.

Morton “Morto” Koopa III: Son of Lord Morton Koopa II

Age: 23

Personality: Rough and hard to get along with. He’s got a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, and he’s not going to let anyone slow him down. He’s grown past the point of caring about anyone or anything. He does have an extremely short fuse, however.

Boulder Koopa: Son of Lord Morton Koopa II

Age: 19

Personality: Quiet, but strong. He’s what some call a gentle giant. He protects all of his younger siblings fiercely, and shows great care for all of them. His lack of a proper older brother figure really got to him, so he won’t be that for his younger siblings.

Smoulder Koopa: Son of Lord Morton Koopa II

Age: 18

Personality: A huge pessimist. He’s the kind of koopa that blends into the background. Unlike most of his family, his personality is rather dull. He’s a bit of a black sheep among his family, but he does care deeply for them all.

Pebble Koopa: Daughter of Lord Morton Koopa II

Age: 16

Personality: Energetic and a go-getter. She’s a bit of a rebel amongst her siblings, but will go to the ends of the earth for them. As a fourth child, she never had any kind of pressure to take on her father’s responsibilities, and it shows.

Rocky Koopa: Son of Lord Morton Koopa II

Age: 10

Personality: Gifted for his age. Unlike his more rough and tumble siblings, he prefers to spend his days in their castle’s library studying. He’s curious about the world, and wants to learn all he can. He’s a huge sweetheart.

Malivia Koopa: Daughter of Lady Wendy O Koopa

Age: 19

Personality: A hopeless romantic, and kind of an idiot. She’s run off to the Beanbean kingdom to study at WooHoo Hooniversity. A controversial choice among her family considering she’s Wendy’s heir, but her mother allowed it.

(Art by my friend)

Bolt Koopa: Son of Lord Iggy Koopa

Age: 18

Personality: Strict and analytical. He’s got his father’s brains, but didn’t seem to get his neurotic tendencies. He’s a genius inventor, but rather introverted. He only seems to open up to his sister and father. 

Screwy Koopa: Daughter of Lord Iggy Koopa

Age: 18

Personality: Just as smart as her twin brother, but her ideas are far more erratic. She resembles her father more when it comes to her crazy ideas. She’s more of the idea maker, while her brother refines and tweaks those ideas. 

Chelsea Koopa: Daughter of Lord Roy Koopa

Age: 9

Personality: Shy and quiet. As the youngest, she stands out quite a bit. She’s also very sickly, and her father fusses constantly over her. All she really wants is to be friends with all of her cousins.

Ludwig “LJ” Von Koopa II: Son of Lord Ludwig Von Koopa I

Age: 23

Personality: Slimy, manipulative, and cunning. He’s seemingly everything that makes a good dragon koopa. But one must wonder what he’s scheming.

Prince Baron Koopa: Son of King Bowser Koopa II

Age: 16

Personality: He tries his best to act as serious as possible. He’s the heir to the koopa throne, after all. However, at his core, he’s a dumb teenage boy. He has dumb teenage boy tendencies.  

Other Characters

Mario Mario Jr

Species: Human

Age: 19

Personality: Mario's son. Unlike the famous hero, he's very impulsive, and kind of hot-headed. He really does want to follow in his dad's footsteps, but he's unsure on how he should go about that.

Peter Cayenne II

Species: Dragon Koopa

Age: 19

Personality: An insecure guy and a nervous wreck. He’s the son of one of Larry’s many advisors, and is quite close with his son, Clarence. Though some might say he's a bit too close.

Regina Regina “Gina”

Species: Boom Boom

Age: 20

Personality: One of the fiercest warriors this side of SkyLand. She’s arrogant, and for a good reason. She’s one of LJ’s right hand men (or women in this case)

Kayden Ironwood

Species: Koopa Troopa

Age: 21

Personality: A skilled weaponsmith AND armorsmith. He has unyielding loyalty to LJ and LJ alone. If he wants something done, Kayden will do it. No questions asked. 

Chapter Text

11 years later. . .

The streets of Toad Town were rather sad this time of day. That wasn’t to say it was particularly happy at any other point, either. But at least mid-day, toads would be out and about. Conversing and making noise. In the dead of night, bar patrons would scream their heads off. It wasn’t pretty, but it was less sad than complete silence.

Not at sunset, though.

When the sun was just setting over the distant mountain range, everyone was inside, except maybe the distant shopkeeper. 

And it was for this exact reason that Mario Jr was out right now with his uncle. The smaller concentration of people made it much easier for the wheelchair-bound plumber to roll around from stand to stand, buying exactly what he needed.

The upside? It made shopping trips mercifully fast. The downside? It only reminded MJ of the constant air of melancholy that surrounded not just Toad Town, but the entire Mushroom Kingdom it felt like. 

Just across the street, MJ could see the statues of that damn koopa be built, replacing that old fountain that had Peach’s image.

His fists clenched at the thought of his mother, but he didn’t dare show another emotion outside of that. Not in front of the image of that smug koopa that had ruined his life. 

“Junior?” Luigi’s old, tired voice rang out, throwing MJ out of his thoughts.

He turned to face the old man, allowing his expression to soften. “Yeah?”

“Do you mind-a holding this bag for me?” The old man held out a plastic bag full of groceries.

Of course. MJ rolled his eyes, scooping the bag out of Luigi’s hands, and letting it dangle at his side. Why else was he here? He obviously wasn’t here to go on a leisurely stroll. They had errands to run. 

“You know. . .” Luigi began to speak again, rolling himself down the paved path towards another vendor. A farmer, MJ guessed. “I hear Flurr T. is opening up a new flower shop down the street. She could really use-a someone like you.”

MJ huffed, slouching his shoulders a bit. “Uncle. . . You know I don’t want to work in a flower shop. It’s not my style.” 

“What is your style, then?” Luigi placed a few gold coins on the vendor’s table, rolling backwards, then orienting himself to look at his nephew. “You reject every idea I give you.” 

“Ugh. I don’t know.” MJ mumbled, knowing damn well what he wanted. 

He wanted adventure! He wanted spotlight! He wanted to be exactly like his late father. MJ didn’t want a quiet life in Toad Town. He wanted to stomp goombas and fist fight troopas. Was that too much to ask for?

Yes, actually. He’d brought it up to his Uncle several months ago, and was met with a resounding “no.” Something about being too young, and it being a lost cause. 

So he learned not to ever bring that one up again.

“Junior. You’re-a spacing out again.”

MJ sighed, kicking up some loose pebbles with his shoe. “Sorry. I’m just thinking.” 

Not much was said after that. MJ was thankful for that, at least. The sky was starting to darken, as well, which meant it was time to head home. 

The warp pipe just at the edge of town took both men right outside their small little house. Apparently, Luigi lived in it with his brother for a while. At least until Mario moved into the castle full time and. . .

MJ stared at his feet, biting back his emotions. Thinking about his father never brought up happy feelings. The young man swung the door to the house open, allowing Luigi to roll inside. Then, he shut the door, dropping the grocery bag he was holding on the floor immediately after. 

He stomped his way to his room, hat balled in his fist. 

“Junior.” His uncle called out from behind him. “Talk to me!”

SLAM!

MJ groaned, locking his door and sliding down onto the floor. He was an adult! 19 whole years to be precise! Why did he have to listen to what his Uncle had to say?

He was Mario’s son! He could be a hero if he wanted to! 

MJ smoothed his hat out, staring at it. It wasn’t really his hat. It was his dad’s. Refurbished and cleaned up. A gift for one of the only birthdays MJ remembered having with his dad. 

Honestly, he really felt like he didn’t deserve to wear the hat. His name did start with an M, yes. His favorite color was also red. His father had gifted it to him very eagerly, and MJ had accepted it. 

But he hadn’t done anything heroic in his life.

When his mother smuggled him out of the castle in the middle of the night, he didn’t say a word. When she had handed him over to Luigi and begged him to take care of him, MJ didn’t beg his mom to stay. He didn’t do anything. He did as he was told his entire life.

Kept his head down. Bit back his rage. Flew under the radar.

And now, he was an adult. Mooching off his uncle and still under the rule of the tyrant who seized the throne long ago. 

If his father were here, Larry would be off the throne by now, and his mom would still be here.

MJ sniffled, using a gloved hand to wipe away his tears. He didn’t need this right now. He’d do some crazy, heroic act one day. And that day was not today. 

But hopefully, someday soon. A man can dream.

. . .

“I must be off. You know the drill. Take care of the castle while I’m gone.” 

“Yes, King Larry, sir.”

Clarence confidently strutted past his father, hopping onto the airship. He was royalty. He felt that constituted a pass to board earlier.

His father wasn’t far behind him, climbing onto the ship, a few guards trailing behind him. 

“Dad, if I have to ask, why are we going to the banquet again?” Clarence grumbled, setting his luggage down onto the ship. He felt as if he was above whatever was happening in the Koopa Kingdom right now. “We’re not technically required to.”

“Because, it’s a family event. And I think Luddy will have my head if we skip another one of these.” Larry grumbled, setting his stuff down next to his son’s. “Besides, I need to get away from the court for a while.” 

Clarence sighed. He supposed that was fair. The court was incredibly boring. Full of old farts who cared more about feeding each other's egos than literally anything more interesting. Though there was one, merciful exception.

That, and he did miss some of his cousins. He hadn’t seen some of them in years, if his memory served correct. He only really got to see the ones that lived nearby. He couldn't even remember the last time he saw Uncle Ludwig. Or Uncle Junior. He always wondered how the whole King thing was going.

Then again, his relationship with Larry was a bit rocky since the whole fiasco involving the Mushroom Kingdom.

There it was! Clarence's reason for wanting to go! Drama! Koopa family drama was always juicy. If nothing else, at least it would be entertaining. 

Who knows? 

Maybe he'll actually have a good time!

Chapter Text

In all honesty, Smoulder had no clue why this family dinner just had to be at the desert stronghold. 

It was fairly large, yes. Less populated than some of the other castles, at least from Smoulder’s experience. It was also certainly more welcoming than the tundra castle Aunt Wendy lived in, or the constant thunderstorms of Uncle Ludwig’s sky palace. 

But that meant that his big family was now crowded in his space. His castle.

Well, technically his dad’s castle, and then Morto’s once he was gone, but Smoulder wasn’t one to get hung up on small details like that. He lived here, so it was his castle. Simple as that.

So why here? Why not the infinitely bigger castle in the Darklands? 

Smoulder’s train of thought was cut off when a jet of fire blasted right past his snout. He yelped, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in, feeling smoke rise from his own nostrils. 

“What the-!?” Smoulder snarled. “Who was that!?”

“HE STARTED IT!” Clarence whined, his fists clenched as his entire body trembled. Judging from where the fire came from, he was probably just inches away from being blasted straight on. Next to him, their cousin Bolt, an expression of annoyance on his face.

“I didn’t ‘start’ anything. You approached me first.” Bolt grumbled, turning himself away from Clarence to go back to fiddling with whatever machinery he was messing with now.

“I don’t care who started it!” Smoulder snarled. “You can’t be spewing jets of fire all over the place!” 

“Hah!” Clarence smirked, leaning his body on the table. Bolt looked just about ready to blast the poor boy again.

“And stop provoking him, Clarence.” Smoulder squinted. “Keep going like that, and Bolt might throw you into a cactus or something.”

“Hehe!” Screwy, who was sitting across from her brother, giggled very loudly, and very obviously. She was strangely quiet that entire exchange. Her laugh reminded Smoulder she was actually here.

He didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.

Clarence, in turn, huffed childishly and went off to sulk in some other corner of the castle. Finally. Maybe Smoulder would get some peace and quiet for at least a few minutes. 

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the volcano! Bweheheh!” Screwy giggled madly, kicking her feet mindlessly off her seat as she fiddled with one of the machine parts in her claws. Bolt rolled his eyes, ignoring his sister’s remarks.

“They don’t have those in the Mushroom Kingdom. All blue skies and jazz.” Baron piped up from across the room, tossing a bouncy ball against the wall, and catching it in a repetitive pattern. “I’m kinda jealous, to be honest. I hate how hot it is in the koopa kingdom sometimes.”

Smoulder huffed, wondering how Baron had the nerve to complain about that while he was in a desert castle. The temperature regulation in the Koopa Castle was certainly better than the stuff they had here.

Insulation. Torches to warm up the cool desert nights. No windows so the sun didn’t peek through. The Koopa Castle had a damn magic shield that regulated the temperature! 

Thankfully, it seemed his sister, Pebble, was quick to attempt to humble the prince. “Please! You wouldn’t last a full night in the stronghold, princey-boy.” She giggled, grasping her older brother’s forearm. Smoulder let her.

“O-Of course I can!” Baron stood immediately, smoke rising from his nostrils. “I-I’m gonna be King one day! I can handle a bit of hot weather!” He crossed his arms. “I was just pointing out how nice the weather in the Mushroom Kingdom is!”

“I bet it’s suuuper hard all up in your cozy castle. With servants attending to your every need.” Pebble sighed, the sarcasm obvious in her tone. She was clearly just trying to get a rise out of the other koopa.

And it seemingly worked. Baron bristled at her words, the smoke from his nostrils only coming out much thicker. Smoulder was half worried he’d spew fire everywhere at this rate.

“DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT YOU UP!?” Baron’s voice bellowed, shaking the small area they were in. Not quite as impressive as his father, but Smoulder had to commend him for being able to do that with his voice alone.

Pebble giggled, clearly not taking the boy’s threat seriously. “Noooo!” She leaned herself fully on her brother, arms wrapped around him. “Smoulder! He’s bullying me.”

“You started it.” Smoulder huffed, a small smile forming on his face despite himself. He shoved his sister off, watching her dramatically fall over the other side of the couch as he did so.

“How sad. . . Even my own brother won’t save me. . .” Pebble sniffled, clearly faking her sadness.

Smoulder stood, easily dwarfing Baron, who shrunk a little under him. He really had no intention of fighting the kid, but seeing his reaction was funny regardless. All bark and no bite.

“I’m gonna head out to the courtyard. You can fight your own battles, Pebble.” Smoulder said flatly, not waiting for a response as he began to stroll away from the others.

“Awwww. Well, see you at dinner, then!” Pebble called out from behind him, before mumbling something to Baron that Smoulder couldn’t quite hear.

Whatever it was, it was enough to get Baron to start shouting again. 

Oh well. That wasn’t his issue to deal with right now.

. . .

It was rather nice outside. That is to say, the sun wasn’t completely blazing down on the Sand Cake Dunes as much as it usually was. Perfect weather for Rocky’s outside reading with Boulder.

Even better, his baby cousin, Chelsea tagged along with them, eagerly peaking over Rocky’s shoulder. Family reunions were always chaotic, but if you knew where to hide, they weren’t so bad. There were some actual upsides to the whole family reunion thing as well.

It wasn’t often that Rocky felt looked up to, being the youngest on his side of the family. So it was nice to be seen as a role model somewhat. 

And a bit nerve wracking. He wondered if that’s what his siblings felt when he obviously looked up to them.

At least Boulder didn’t seem to mind. He quietly sat as Rocky read his story aloud. Though, Chelsea would interject and ask Rocky questions about certain words.

She pointed an unsteady claw at a word, leaning her cheek on Rocky’s shoulder. “What does. . .  Iron-ronic mean?”

Rocky raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by her pronunciation. “Ironic?”

“Yes. That.” Chelsea nodded eagerly.

“Oh. Well. . . If something is ironic, then it’s usually-”

“Smoulder.” Boulder interrupted, eyes forward. An observation.

Rocky stopped what he was saying, turning his head to face where Boulder was. Low and behold, there was Smoulder. That same, somewhat annoyed expression on his face. His expression did soften when his gaze caught the group of three.

“Ah. Didn’t expect you guys to be out here. Especially not her.” He gestured to Chelsea, who giggled and waved at Smoulder enthusiastically. 

“Hi Mister Smoulder! We’re reading!” She called out.

Smoulder rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You don’t have to call me Mister. Makes me feel old.” He sat himself down in the sand a little ways away from the others. 

Rocky huffed. He always did that. Sometimes he wished he’d at least try to be a bit more affectionate. Or open just in general. He’d known Smoulder all his life, but it felt like he barely knew anything about him.

Their cousin giggled, pointing a claw directly at Smoulder. “You are old, though!” Chelsea proclaimed, earning another eyeroll out of him.

“Yeah, yeah. Keep talking like that and I’ll throw sand at you.” Smoulder kicked some sand up with his tail as a kind of warning. Chelsea seemed to find it more amusing than anything. 

“Uncle Roy would kill you.” Rocky pointed out, shuddering as he thought about how fiercely protective he was over his only daughter. Uncle Roy scared him in general. 

Smoulder shuddered, seemingly agreeing with that sentiment. “Ugh. Yeah. He’s kinda intense.”

“I think papa is silly.” Chelsea butted in, a deep frown on her face. She was probably the only one here who thought that.

Boulder hummed, not seemingly agreeing or disagreeing with anyone outwardly. He shrugged, and did nothing more. 

“That reminds me. . .” Smoulder began, mindlessly playing with a few grains of sand with his claws. “Where are all of our parents? Shouldn’t we be preparing for the feast or something?”

Boulder grunted in response. If he knew the answer, he clearly didn’t feel like saying it. Rocky didn’t really know where they were either. He knew they all went off to do. . . Something important. But whatever it was, Rocky was too young to learn that, apparently.

“Strategy meeting and negotiations.” A gruff voice answered, causing Rocky to jump. Was someone eavesdropping on them?

Turning his head to the source of the noise, he got his answer. 

There stood his eldest brother. Gaze sharp and intense, while his mighty arms were crossed across his chest. Despite being kind enough to answer their questions, he did not radiate a welcoming aura at all. 

“Ah. Morto. You startled me.” Smoulder huffed, smoothing his hair over with his paw.

“What are they strategizing about, if I may ask?” Rocky mumbled from behind his book. He was curious, after all. Call it a passing interest in the court, even if Rocky had little chance of getting on an important spot.

“How should I know? It’s classified. About Mushroom-Koopa relations or whatever.” Morto grumbled, dismissively waving as he strolled across the courtyard. “Larry finally showed his face, and they want to negotiate as much as they can.”

Rocky never quite understood the whole thing with Larry. Then again, he wasn’t alive for it. Maybe if they weren’t so hostile, he’d be more open to whatever they were proposing. 

“Do you think they’re finally gonna manage to make it officially koopa territory?” Smoulder asked, leaning his back against one of the many stone walls. “It already is, functionally. Just not on paper.”

Boulder shook his head in response. “No. Ego too big.” He said in a harsh tone. Rocky had no clue what that meant, and it seemed neither did Chelsea. Morto and Smoulder nodded along with him, though.

“Exactly. But maybe they’ll get him to fork over sparkling waters.” Morto huffed out a laugh, almost like he didn’t even believe it himself. “Don’t know who’d look after it, though.”

“Maybe they’ll give it to dad?” Rocky offered. He still wanted to contribute, but man. All of this complicated court stuff was making his head spin. 

“Doubt it, but it’s a nice thought.” Smoulder sighed, turning his head upward to gaze at the sky above. 

The others went on and on about nonsense Rocky had no stake in, so he decided to get back to his book. Things were less complicated when it was all reduced to words on a page. He felt Chelsea peak over his shoulder too, clearly feeling some kind of similar feeling.

Hopefully their parents would be back soon. . .

. . .

LJ paced up and down the long, dark hallways of the desert stronghold. Somehow, it was more gloomy than the palace in SkyLand. 

And that place was crawling with storm clouds.

His wand felt heavy in his claws, the metal unnaturally cool underneath his scaly fingertips. Today was the day he had been planning for years. The day he’d finally put his plan into motion. After years of perfecting spells, recruiting soldiers, and analyzing old history books, he’d manage the impossible.

To bring Bowser back, years after his death.

However, now that he was actually here, the entire situation felt so surreal. He would really be doing this, and there would be no going back after it.

The meeting their parents were all having was a convenient distraction. An opening. It was almost too good to be true.

Because it was.

One cousin was absent. Obviously so. None of his other cousins had run off to another kingdom entirely. 

‘Hooniversity. . .’ What a joke. Things like that were for second children and beyond. Not a firstborn. Not an heir. 

But he had planned for that too, and that issue should be able to solve itself.

So the rest was completely up to him, and him alone. It was slightly terrifying, but LJ had conquered significantly worse. This would be the easy part.

LJ chuckled, the low sound echoing off the walls of the stony hallway. The gem on his wand began to glow an eerie red, illuminating the hallway.

“Time to put those cousins of mine to good use. . .”

Chapter Text

There wasn’t much to see in the desert. Sand, sand, and more sand. Maybe an occasional cactus here and there. However, there was one upside to living in a blazing hot wasteland. Desert sunsets were always a sight to behold.

The sky had become a clear, purple hue over the horizon with flecks of blue and orange. It was a scene straight out of a painting. There weren’t a lot of sunsets in Baron’s part of the kingdom. Volcanic ash and cloudy skies obscured most of whatever kind of sunset existed in the Darklands. As far as he was concerned, there were two phases to the day. 

Dark, and really dark. When it was really dark, you slept. Simple and easy.

So despite the merciless sun that wasn’t present in the Darklands, this was nice. Atop a lookout tower, too. Baron was slightly shocked Pebble even managed to secure a spot like this.

He turned to his cousin, who was gazing at the sunset like it was the most normal thing in the world. A scene like this was probably less impressive to someone who lived near it nearly everyday. “Are we allowed up here?” He eventually said, breaking the silence between them.

Pebble offered a non-commital shrug. “Technically we aren’t. This area is supposed to be for sentries and stuff. But my dad doesn’t really care. I know he likes to watch the sunset, too.”

Baron scrunched his nose up, slightly shocked by the flagrant disregard for proper etiquette. If he pulled that stunt at the Koopa Castle, it’d be a whole issue. Then again, the views of the scenery weren’t nearly worth it enough to get in trouble for.

Volcanoes and rock? You could see that without risking your own tail. 

“Don’t give me that look.” Pebble laughed, shoving Baron lightly on the shoulder. “It’s not like anyone’s gonna get hurt.”

Baron frowned deeply, a full-proof method to stop himself from smiling. “You know, I could have you thrown in a dungeon for that. You just shoved a Crown Prince.”

Pebble laughed. “Hehe! You’d have to catch me first! And I know all the ins and outs of this castle, so good luck!” 

“And I could ask any poor soldier here for a map. Your point?” Baron couldn’t keep the smile off of his face, much to his dismay. Joking around like this was very unbecoming of a future koopa king.

But exceptions were surely made for family. He’d seen his dad crack rare smiles around himself and some of his uncles. It wasn’t like he was the king right now. 

“Ah. What a pleasant surprise!” 

Baron yelped, whirling around to see his cousin, LJ, standing right where the entrance to the lookout tower was. When had he gotten here? His eyes fell to the wand in his claws, and part of hims wondered if he had just teleported here.

Strange. . . We didn’t need to bring our wands here. Baron wasn’t a skilled magic user by any means, but he knew his way around a few basic attacking spells. He rarely went around without his wand, but his dad made him leave it for this trip.

It was useless. Just another thing to pack. It wasn’t like he needed it. They were just visiting family. Why did LJ have his?

“Oh. Hey LJ.” Pebble spoke up, her tone of voice hard to read. From what Baron could see, she seemed rather tense.

“You were just the koopas I was looking for!” LJ chirped, voice dripping with honey. Baron didn’t trust that tone at all. LJ never spoke like that. Not unless he wanted something.

“Ah?” Baron raised an eyebrow, eyes following his cousin’s wand. Maybe he was crazy, but he could swear he saw it glowing. Was he trying to do a spell? 

Baron clenched his fists, claws digging into the scales on his palms. LJ grinned.

“Tell me, dear cousins. . . Do you remember our late grandfather?”

Pebble’s eyebrows furrowed, looking like she’d just eaten something sour. “Uh- No?” She crossed her arms. “I think I was like- 5 when he died. I barely knew him.”

Baron couldn’t forget, meanwhile. He was one of the greats, after all. He’d seen several statues of the old king scattered across the Darklands. He looked up to him in a weird way, despite barely remembering him. Bowser was the kind of king Baron strived to be. Universally loved and remembered for being a good king to his people. 

But in terms of actually knowing the guy? He was in the same boat with his cousin on that one. Barely remembered what he was actually like.

“I see his old pictures around the castle.” Baron mumbled, a sense of dread creeping into his bones.

LJ didn’t seem to like either of their answers, as his pleasant smile faded away almost instantly. A bitter scowl replaced it, as smoke rose from his nostrils.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what you remember or don’t. Because I need your help with bringing him back.” His voice was flat. Commanding.

Bringing him back? Resurrection spells were hard enough as is, but wasn’t that kind of thing impossible with a corpse that’s been dead for years? He was no magic expert, but he knew a spell of that scale would have grave consequences (no pun intended). There was a reason the magic textbooks were written the way they were.

Spells going beyond the limits given would either have devastating effects for the caster, the surrounding area, or the object being effected. Oftentimes, the spell might even shatter the wand, and that was a whole other issue. Spells were sealed away for safety. It was one of the first things he ever learned regarding magic. Kids were curious, and it was important to stamp that out regarding magic at least.

Pebble wore an expression halfway between horror and confusion. It was almost like she couldn’t process the words her cousin was saying.

Baron could. And he did not like the implications.

“That’s impossible!” Baron growled, puffing his chest out and standing strong. LJ might have been taller than him, but he wouldn’t falter. “And reckless! Resurrecting a koopa years after his death goes against the laws of magic itself!” He didn’t quite know the consequences of a spell like that, but it couldn’t be pretty.

LJ’s expression didn’t change. Instead, he raised his wand, pointing it directly at Baron. His eyes widened, staring at the glowing gem. He could’ve sworn LJ’s eyes glowed with it, too.

“I wasn’t asking.” He said, before wordlessly sending a magic blast straight for him.

Baron would’ve been hit for sure, had Pebble not shoved him out of the way. “OOF-!” He tumbled to the ground, his shell absorbing most of the impact. 

“GAH-!” He heard Pebble grunt, as the familiar sound of magic hitting a target filled his ears.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, horrified to find Pebble collapsed on the ground. “N-No! What did-!?” Now he was furious. Baron growled, resisting every urge to torch LJ on the spot. “What did you do to her!?”

LJ huffed, looking more annoyed than anything else. “Oh calm down! I didn’t kill her, if that’s what you were worried about. I’m not that cruel.”

As if on cue, Pebble slowly rose to her feet. A wave of relief washed over Baron for a moment, as he immediately rushed to her side to check if she was okay.

It only lasted for a moment.

Pebble seemed fine physically, but something was clearly wrong. Her eyes glowed a horrible red, not unlike the gem on his cousin’s wand. Her expression was vacant. Staring through Baron, not looking at him.

He staggered back, horrified at what he was seeing, 

He turned to LJ, only to be met with that glowing gem yet again.

“Now, would you do me a favor and hold still, this time?”

. . .

The sun was setting, and it seemed everyone was inside. Great. Smoulder could finally do what he came out here to do in the first place. He stood from the sand, brushing it off himself, before heading off to the castle wall. 

To the normal koopa, this wall was unremarkable. Simply a castle wall. But Smoulder knew better. He knew that this particular section of the castle held a secret that only he, and a few members of his family knew about. 

He traced his paw over the bricks gently, looking for that one brick that would-

“Smoulder!”

“GAH!” Smoulder yelped, almost tripping. Turning, he saw Rocky’s bright eyed face smiling up at him curiously. “You- When did you get here?”

“I never went back inside!” Rocky tilted his head, walking up to the wall that Smoulder was feeling up. “What are you doing?”

“I. . .” Smoulder paused, wondering if he should expose his secret to his little brother so readily. It wasn’t like he didn’t trust him, but the whole appeal of this was that it was his own little area.

. . . He sighed. Rocky was quiet enough. Besides, he knew his dad and Morto knew of this passage anyways. It wasn’t like it would hurt anything. Plus, he really needed to get away from his cousins, at least for a few minutes. “Just watch.” He mumbled, reaching his hand out again to feel the wall

Ah hah! There it was!

Click!

A section of the wall began to open up, revealing a dark passageway illuminated by torches. Rocky’s eyes sparkled as he stared at it.

“Woah! A secret passage? I didn’t know we had those!” Rocky approached the entrance, but Smoulder grabbed his shoulder, holding him back from going too far.

“We do. There’s a few, but this one is the only one I have memorized.” After that, he held Rocky’s small paw in his own, and began heading in. His brother was eager to follow, a skip in his step. 

The wall automatically closed behind them, leaving them in relative darkness. The walls were narrow, but there was more than enough space for both koopas. Smoulder, despite knowing the way, instinctively traced his paw along the wall, feeling his way around. Rocky, adorably, did the same, despite being led around by his older brother. 

It was rather dusty in here, though. Smoulder sneezed, sending flecks of smoke into the air. Yeesh. That was something he'd never get used to.

“What’s the purpose of this?” Rocky eventually asked, his voice echoing through the small space.

“I actually have no clue.” Smoulder shrugged. 

The small hallway opened up, revealing a small chamber filled with spare couches, paintings, and the like. It was dusty, with piles of sand in different corners. “But whatever it was used for, dad just uses it for storage.” He continued, letting go of his little brother’s hand to move to one of the couches.

“I personally use this area when I wanna get away from everyone.” Smoulder said, kicking his legs up on the spare table next to the seat. “It’s nice and quiet.” 

Rocky nodded slowly, walking around the area to inspect every little thing that was there. It was amusing, and reminded Smoulder of when he had first found the passageway by accident all those years ago.

“Is there anything else here?” Rocky asked, eyes sparkling with wonder. His older brother laughed, getting up from his spot on the couch. 

“Yes, actually.” Smoulder responded, strolling over to the far end of the room. There, a loose brick. He’d done some work a number of months ago, and actually managed to wrench the thing from its wall.

So a free spying window!

"If you remove this brick here, you can see into the castle's main hall. You can't see much, but you can hear everything." He explained, tapping his claw lightly against the brick.

Smoulder liked to hear castle gossip, as childish as it was. The opening in the wall allowed him to do just that. Well, him and Rocky now. His brother certainly seemed eager.

He slowly removed the brick, careful to keep the stone from scraping too loud. At his side, he could feel the young koopa scrambling up some crates, attempting to look through the small opening as well.

What met Smoulder, however, was a flash of brown scales, then yellow. And. . . Incoherent yelling? Fire?

Rocky’s bright eyed expression faded immediately, as he soon turned to his brother for an explanation. “Smoulder. . .?” He asked in a whisper. “What’s-?”

A magical blast. Was a fight happening? Whatever it was, it left a pit in Smoulder’s stomach, so he quickly scooped Rocky up into his arms, and moved away from the small brick window just to listen 

The noise persisted. Loud crashes, magical blasts, and yelling. Smoulder’s heart raced in his chest, dreading to know what could possibly be happening out there. Were his other siblings safe? Were his cousins safe?

Shit. . . Little Chelsea was in there, too. They wouldn’t hurt a kid, would they? Who the hell even got into the castle? There were guards crawling all around outside!

The noise eventually faded, and what replaced that was a horrible, dreadful silence. The castle was rarely this quiet, and Smoulder had to wonder what had gone down.

But he wouldn’t move from his spot until he was completely certain that the coast was clear. He wouldn’t risk himself, or his brother for that.

. . .

 At last. It was finally done.

It took a bit of arm work, and definitely drained most of LJ’s energy, but his brainwashed cousins managed to scoop up the last of his remaining cousins so he could put the spell on them.

Each one of their eyes glowed a horrible red, an indicator that the spell had worked perfectly! He’d have to take it off eventually. LJ had no time to do his full scale takeover now. It was far too inconvenient and risky. 

But couldn’t a koopa relish in victory? Just for a while?

Though he had the overwhelming sense that something was missing. Like he was missing someone. He began counting heads with his claw, mumbling numbers to himself. He knew Malivia wasn't here, so that was already one missing. But who else-?

“What the hell is going on here!?”

Ah. Of course. He had forgotten one, key player in this. The arguably most important one. Turning around, he saw the form of his cousin, and former best friend. Morto, who had his chest puffed out, and teeth bared in a snarl. 

“Ah! Glad to see you’ve finally made it! You’re late to the party, old friend!” LJ chirped, clasping his paws together behind his back, a wicked grin on his face.

“What. Did. You. Do?” Morto punctuated each word with a growl, small embers flicking out of his mouth. 

“You of all koopas should know.” LJ laughed, holding up his wand in a taunting gesture. “I’m bringing back grandfather! Aren’t you thrilled?”

His cousin responded with another snarl, his fists clenched into tight balls. “NO! Why would I be!? And you’re bringing them into this, too!?” Morto reached into his shell, pulling out a sledgehammer and brandishing it at him. 

LJ stared down at the weapon, unamused. Were they seriously going to do this now? He turned his head back up, staring into his cousin’s fiery gaze. He smiled. “I recommend you step down. If I’m feeling nice, I might just let you join me.” The koopa held out his hand. It was a genuine offer on his part.

If anyone could understand the pain LJ had been in the last few years, it would be his old friend.

He was met with a cold glare instead, and a rising of the hammer. 

Welp. He tried.

With a quick flick of his wand, he teleported behind all of his cousins. Morto’s hammer slammed into the ground, the force causing the ground to quake.

“Knock him out!” LJ barked out. Not a second later, the group of seven descended upon Morto like vultures.

Morto held the scrawnier ones off with his hammer. Bolt and Screwy were the easiest to push. Clarence was knocked down soon after a bit of a wrestle. Chelsea, although he seemed conflicted, he managed to kick away. It was the other three that posed the real threat.

Baron and Pebble never let Morto stay still for a second. With Pebble swiping her claws at her brother, and Baron blasting jests of flames. Boulder, while slow, was not to be messed with. His punches would cause quakes in the floor. 

The combination of speed and strength was too much for Morto to handle alone. With one good knock to the head from his little brother, Morto fell to the ground with a mighty thud! 

The remaining three stood still after, almost like robots. 

That had gone surprisingly well!

LJ strolled past his unconscious cousins, and waved the other three back so he could approach Morto’s unconscious body. Perfectly still and asleep. A perfect opportunity.

LJ pointed his wand directly at his old friend, the gem glowing that familiar, dark red. . .

. . .

But he couldn’t bring himself to cast the spell.

A strange feeling twisted in his chest staring down at Morto. The koopa who he’d spent the majority of his childhood with. His only friend for a really long time. 

. . .

He slowly lowered his wand, slumping his shoulders a bit. LJ could pull this off without him. Consider it a small mercy, old friend. He thought to himself.

He didn’t have much time to dwell, as he heard the familiar sound of an airship descending upon the castle. Their parents would all be back soon. He turned to face his cousins yet again. The ones that had been knocked out during the fight were now waking up, and slowly rising to their feet again.

“Listen carefully. . .” He began, raising his wand up again. “You will forget everything that has happened in the past 20 minutes, and if our parents ask, say you all got into a fight.”

They all nodded mindlessly. Once that was done, he flicked his wand. In an instant, the spell was seemingly lifted, and all of them collapsed to the floor. They’d wake up in a handful of minutes. 

He looked around the area, careful to make sure there were no witnesses. Thankfully, there were none. However, he did note a missing brick from one of the walls. 

Someone oughta fix that sometime soon. 

With that thought, he quickly made his leave to distract the rest. Just to buy a few minutes so everyone could wake up.

The first part of his plan had gone perfectly!

Chapter Text

The first thing Pebble could hear when she came to was a horrible ringing in her ears. Then, muffled voices calling her name. She opened her eyes, her head aching like she’d just smashed it into a brick wall.

Her father’s worried expression met her gaze. He was saying something that Pebble couldn’t understand through the ringing in her ears, but he certainly sounded just as concerned as he looked. Morton turned away to face someone else, barking out an angry statement in response.

What had him so stressed? Morto couldn’t have done something that stupid.

Pebble blinked, turning her head and realizing that her uncles were here with her cousins. Right. They were over. How could she forget? A majority of them were also carrying someone in their arms.

Aunt Wendy and uncle Lemmy seemed the most calm, doing their best to calm the others down.

“Pebble!” She finally managed to hear her father calling her name. Pebble turned back to her dad, smiling up at him.

“Hey, pops.” She muttered.

“What happened!?” Morton asked, eyes full of worry. “Morton ask Boulder, but Boulder didn’t give him straight answer.”

“Oh.” Pebble frowned. What did happen? She wracked her brain for answers, but whatever it was, it evaded her mind. It was like a dark shroud was over her memories of the past hour or so. She felt compelled to give one, single answer.

“There was a fight.” She said, the words not quite fitting on her tongue right.

Her uncle Larry let out a loud groan, seemingly in response to what Pebble had said. “That’s what Clarence keeps saying, too! What were you guys even fighting about!?”

Wendy rolled her eyes at that remark, crossing her arms. “Knowing your kids? Probably something stupid. They’re always roughhousing.” 

“You guys seriously can’t leave those kids alone for a second.” Lemmy remarked with amusement, leaning against the wall.

Roy didn’t like that remark, it seemed, because a jet of fire was sent directly Lemmy’s way soon after. “Not my Chelsea!” He barked afterwards. Pebble had to bite back the urge to laugh. “She’s a perfect angel! She ain’t ever fightin’ anyone!”

Junior rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated by the entire thing. “Look. Just-! It’s already been a long day. Let’s all just cut our losses and go home. This was never really about the feast anyways.”

“Noooo. . .” Protested Baron in his father’s arms, weakly smacking at his father. Pebble couldn’t help but giggle a little at that. Baron was probably the only creature in the entire world who could smack the Koopa King like that and not get incinerated on the spot.

“Yes, young man. No buts.” Junior grumbled, the other koopalings piping up in agreement. Something about being tired.

Pebble was bummed, but she supposed it was fair. Her head hurt like hell, and she frankly wanted a nap. It was nice to see them all again regardless. The feast would’ve probably gone horribly, anyway. 

. . .

Clarence was honestly thankful he got to go home early. The desert was, frankly, dreadful, and he had been praying to the star spirits above for an easy way out of it all. Did he want to have a mysterious blanket over his mind and a bad headache? Not necessarily.

But Clarence wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He got to go home, and that was all that mattered. 

As the airship landed, Clarence and his father were immediately swarmed by guards and nobles alike. The Mushroom King had returned, after all. His father was certainly soaking up the praise, but Clarence could tell he was getting just a little irritated. 

Probably wants to rest. He thought to himself.

As quietly as he could, Clarence slipped away from the crowd, taking the nearest hallway out of the airship hangar. Phew. Finally. Now he could relax and go back to being coddled by everyone in this palace as he deserves!

“Prince Clarence!” Called out a meek voice, cutting Clarence’s thought process in two. He couldn’t help the grin that split across his face at the realization.

He turned, being met with his best friend, and closest ally on the court. Peter Cayenne the second! The Cayenne’s were a group of sleazy dragon koopas that Clarence honestly didn’t trust one bit. The kinds of koopas that’d throw anyone under the bus for just a semblance of power. They had money, though, and his dad valued it. So they stayed.

Peter was different, though. Genuine in his gestures, AND had the benefit of his parent’s money behind him. So to Clarence? That was a win-win. Plus, a genuine friend in a place like this was hard to come by, as most just kissed up to him with no real regard for Clarence.

Though he definitely appreciated the praise, too.

Clarence opened his arms wide for Peter, little regard for the etiquette that someone of his status must uphold. Peter rushed up to him, wrapping his lanky arms around the other. 

“Missed me, buddy?” Clarence laughed, holding the other koopa tight. Peter always smelled of the fire flowers in the garden.

“Yes! You didn’t even tell me you were visiting family!” Peter pulled away, frowning. “I had to learn through my dad that you were even gone for a trip!”

Clarence rolled his eyes, gently nudging the other away. He held his hands up in defense, loathing the way his headache started to get worse. “Hey, I was just as shocked as you. Dad kinda threw that on me last minute. I didn’t have the time to pack AND tell you where I was going!” He did feel a bit bad, but he wouldn’t say that part out loud. 

“But I’m here now!” Clarence winked, hand on his hip. “And I’ve got nothing but time.”

Peter giggled, turning his head away to huff out a puff of smoke from his nostrils. “Please. You must be exhausted. I wouldn’t wanna intrude.”

Clarence groaned, rubbing his temples to relieve the headache he was experiencing. “God. I am. But maybe some quality time with my best buddy will energize me.”

Peter rolled his eyes, instinctively wrapping his paw around the other koopa’s. “Best buddy? You’re too kind.” 

“It’s the highest honor you could receive from me!” Clarence grinned, ignoring the heat in his own cheeks. Their claws were intertwining. . .  “You better feel lucky!” 

Peter smiled that genuine smile of his that always seemed to get the prince’s heart to race. “I do feel lucky.” 

. . .

“Wow. That’s weird. How do you not remember a fight that just happened?” Peter frowned, flopping belly first onto Clarence’s luxurious bed, and fiddling with the controller in his claws.

The prince, in turn, shrugged. “It’s weird, but it’s the truth.” He offered nothing more as he fiddled with his own controller.

Peter wasn’t one for voicing his thoughts out loud, considering he usually jumped to the worst conclusions imaginable, but something about that statement didn’t feel right at all. A koopa doesn’t just forget a fight after being knocked out.

Not unless said koopa sustained a horrible head injury.

Peter bit his lip, suddenly aware of how often Clarence had been rubbing his own head, wincing in pain. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Peter mumbled. “I know you said you were, but-”

“You worry too much about me.” Clarence laughed, ruffling up the other’s hair with his claws. “A headache is nothing. Remember when I caught the Koopa Flu when I was like. . . 11?”

Peter shuddered at the memory. “I try not to.” 

It was nothing short of horrible. Clarence had been bedridden, with every castle medic watching him 24/7. Peter had been genuinely convinced his friend wouldn’t make it, and would sneak into his room constantly to check up on him. It was probably the only time he’d ever broken the rules without Clarence’s encouragement.

He made it, though. And when Clarence could walk around the castle again, Peter wouldn’t leave his side for about a week.

“Well, I made it. I’m not gonna shatter over a little fight.” Clarence smiled, his tone lowering into something more genuine. Not like his usual loud, boisterous tone he usually said everything with. “I’ll be okay, alright? Don’t worry about me.”

Peter had to look away to hide the blush on his own face. If only Clarence knew that he couldn’t help himself. If only he knew how Peter really felt about him. He was the most important koopa in his life, and if anything happened, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

It was stupid. He was the son of the Mushroom King. His best friend and far out of his league. 

“Okay. I’ll try not to. . .” Peter turned back to smile at Clarence again. He knew it was a lie. He’d always worry about him.

“Good. Now can we play already? We’ve been on the character selection screen for like- Forever.”

Peter laughed. “Ah. Yeah. Sorry.”

. . .

Home was just as LJ had left it. Dark and gloomy, with a side of rain and thunder for his troubles. Not the best weather to fly an airship in on, but it was doable. Plus, LJ felt that it was the perfect weather to plan his coup, but maybe he just had a taste for the dramatic.

LJ hardly paid mind to what his father had said to them once they had landed, and instead began making his way to his own quarters. If he could give his father one thing, he’d certainly spoiled him when it came to space. The sky palace was larger than his father knew what do do with, so an entire section of the castle was considered LJ’s little area.

He liked to call it his lair, but Ludwig had called him dramatic. Oh well. It wasn’t like his opinion mattered anyways. 

Climbing up the spiral staircase that led to his room, he paused halfway through. Poor, naive father. If only you knew of the secrets this palace held. The koopas had merely taken the palace from whoever had it previously. They hadn’t once thought to look for possible secret passageways.

Pressing on a dark colored brick, a wall opened up. Inside, various papers and books strewn about in an organized chaos. Potions brewed in one corner, and a stack of various weapons lay in the other. A map of the continent was on the far wall, and a large, circular table sat in the middle of it all. Bright, blue torches illuminated the dark area, forever kept burning through a magical spell LJ had taught himself.

His real room. Where all the planning got done. 

LJ headed inside, allowing the wall to close behind him. If he wasn’t mistaken, there should be-

“Your grace! You’re here!”

Ah. There he was. LJ’s most loyal servant, Kayden. 

Kayden stumbled out from behind the bookshelf, his light, purple hair a mess, but his metallic armor as polished as ever. He was an unassuming troopa to everyone, but to LJ? He was the finest weaponsmith he’d ever seen. His armor, while looking like every koopatrol in the Skylands, was fireproof. It was both a shame, and a blessing that LJ was the first to notice his accomplishments.

“Indeed I am. I see you got my letter.” LJ chuckled, strolling inside further. He gestured for Kayden to come closer, and he did with no questions. “Though, I feel the need to remind you that you do not need to use such formal titles when it’s just us.” He grinned, gauging the other koopa’s reaction. “You are one of my most trusted soldiers, after all.”

“R-Right!” Kayden nodded, looking positively elated. “S-Sorry your- I-I mean LJ! I just- I’m excited! Did you really do it!?” His bright red eyes sparkled with a wonder that LJ rarely saw in soldiers. It was amusing. 

“Indeed. Though, we are far from done. We obviously need to hear from her before I can say we’re ready to enact the second phase of my- our plan.” LJ corrected himself, sitting at the large round table. 

Kayden took a seat next to him, fidgeting with his hands. The small metal clanks his gauntlets made when they tapped together irritated LJ to no end, but he decided it best to ignore it. “It’s been a while. Do you think she needs help or-”

“No, no.” LJ interrupted, holding his paw up to silence the other. “She has it handled. In fact, she should be able to come here for the meeting today-”

“Ah! Is this a bad time?”

LJ couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face at the sound of her voice. “Speak of the devil! No, Gina! You’re right on time!”

“Great!” Gina stepped into the room, the wall closing behind her. 

She barely changed from when LJ saw her last. She still had those armored shoulder guards, and that shell that was far too small for a boom boom of her size. Gina strolled casually over to the table, sitting on LJ’s other side.

“So, what’s the sitch?” Gina rested her elbows on the table, tilting her head at LJ. “Same old, same old? If so, I think I’ll head out early. I don’t want-”

“Patience, Regina.” LJ chuckled, eye twitching in mild annoyance. “Phase 1 of the plan has been put into place, and I need your input.”

Gina’s eyes widened behind her shades. She whistled, seeming somewhat impressed. “Wow. Already? Thought that’d take another fe months or so.”

“So did I. But the perfect opportunity presented itself.” LJ hummed, mindlessly waving his wand around. He delighted in watching his generals’ somewhat uncomfortable expressions as he did. Just a small reminder of who had the control here. “Call it impulsive, but I simply had to. We’re ahead of schedule.” 

“Amazing!” Kayden exclaimed, clapping as softly as he could with metal gauntlets. “I’d expect nothing less from you, your grace!”

“Yeah.” Gina mumbled, more chill about the revelation than Kayden was. Though LJ couldn’t help but notice the slight nervous edge in her voice. 

LJ set his wand down onto the table, turning himself fully to face Gina. “Speaking of, how are things going in the Beanbean kingdom, Gina? I hear the weather is very nice there that time of year.”

“H-Huh?” Gina blinked, before laughing, and leaning back in her chair. “Oh yeah. Super nice. Way better than here, that’s for sure. Though I do miss the rain sometimes.” She sighed wistfully, before straightening herself out. “But in terms of the mission, it’s going great! She trusts me, and hasn’t questioned my story at all. Living with her in her dorm, too. Just gotta find her wand.” 

LJ nodded. Good, but it was all things he’d heard already. “Mhm. And what of the capture? Malivia was absent from the gathering, as you probably know. Phase 2 is going to be enacted somewhat soon, and I can’t allow news of what I’m doing to reach her.” He laced his own claws together. “Though I won’t have to worry about that if I have her under my thumb.”

Gina rubbed the back of her neck. “That’s. . . The difficult part. She’s always either at class, or out with friends. I can’t really snatch her up without making a huge scene out of it.”

LJ sighed. He supposed that made sense. Gina was a skilled fighter, not a miracle worker. It seemed she was doing well with the trust part, anyhow. Though, gaining Malivia’s trust was like picking the lowest apple from the tree. It hardly required any effort.

Besides, he couldn’t afford getting the Beanbean kingdom involved with this. Their technology was far superior to the koopas by a mile.

It wasn’t like he needed her right now, anyways.

LJ nodded, his shoulders relaxing. “Very well. I suppose that’s fair. Let me know if there are any developments.” 

Gina nodded, flashing a toothy grin at the other. “Will do, boss!”

“Good. You are dismissed, Gina.” He waved dismissively, and Gina wasted no time walking right on out of there. LJ smiled. So punctual. It was one of the reasons he’d hand-picked her!

That, and her brute strength. That also couldn’t be sneezed at. It wasn’t often someone had the strength that could stand out even to LJ. And he had cousins who could cause quakes just by stomping.

Kayden grumbled from next to him, tapping his boot against the floor in a pattern too fast to be comfortable. “If that were me, I’d have her by now.” 

LJ rolled his eyes, setting his paw on Kayden’s shoulder. “Patience, General. These things take time.”

“You assigned her to this two months ago!” Kayden huffed, crossing his arms. “It was only supposed to take a handful of weeks!”

“I know, but I get the sense that Gina enjoys the slight vacation this assignment gives her.” LJ certainly didn’t blame her. The Koopa Troop worked all of their soldiers like dogs nearly every single day.

“Just give her time. She’ll definitely pull through.”