Hello again! Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed the first chapter! Now we're onto the second chapter! Please read and review!

Big and Little

Roy was not aware he had fallen. In fact, as soon as he made an impact with the ground, he blacked out. It was funny to think that the largest Koopaling had no tolerance for falling from the sky. Meanwhile, Lemmy had fallen right on top of Roy. He had landed on the bigger Koopa's stomach, and although it probably hurt Roy, he was passed out so he didn't feel it. Plus, Lemmy was super light and small. It's not like he was as heavy as Morton, who would have definitely hurt Roy more.

Lemmy had been thankful for his younger brother being there to break his fall but now was unable to move. Every time he did, a searing pain shot through his leg.

And so, he was curled up on his brother's stomach like a cat. He was small enough to do so, and it certainly was comfortable. Who knew Roy had such a comfy stomach?

He hadn't watched the ship go down due to the tears in his eyes, but he heard the crash. It sounded distant. A lot of time had passed since then.

Everything seemed so long ago. Now that he was just sitting here, he was starting to think.

What if we don't make it back to the castle? And what if Roy never wakes up? What if King Dad never shows up? What if we are stuck out here forever? And everyone else might be dead!

Moving beneath him made him turn his head and forget his previous worries. Roy was finally waking up, to Lemmy's relief.

He suddenly sat up, and Lemmy fell forwards onto the ground.

"OWwwww!" He cried, tumbling onto the floor. Roy shook his head, rubbing the back of it.

"Ugh, what happened? Where am I?" Lemmy wanted to respond but was clutching his small leg and trying to hold back tears. Roy's vision focused, and he saw Lemmy rolling around on the ground in pain.

"Oh, sorry Lemmy. Were you laying on my stomach?" Lemmy nodded but didn't say anything.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Roy asked, already knowing the answer. He crept forward towards the smaller and took him in his big hands. Lemmy, with much difficulty, held out his foot as much as he could. Roy examined it closely, being careful not to touch the spot where it was blackening.

His leg was definitely fractured, if not broken. It was swollen and was bruising. It was probably going to hurt like hell later on.

"Well, I ain't no doc, but I'd guess it's probably broken or fractured," Roy said.

"How am I going to get around? I'll never be able to move again!" Lemmy cried out dramatically. He started wailing, actually terrified of the future.

"Chill big dude. It'll heal with time. For now, however..." He carefully lifted Lemmy up above his head and placed him on his shoulders. He was tiny, and therefore light, and got snuggly up there without giving Roy much trouble.

"There yah go, big guy. Now you don't have to walk. Er, attempt to. Once we find the others I'm sure Ludwig or Kamek will fix you right up." Lemmy seemed satisfied, judging by his happy grin.

"So, uh... what happened?" Roy asked. He carefully got to his feet, holding onto Lemmy, and looked around.

Where even are we...?

"Well, I don't remember all that much. We were thrown out of the Klown Kar after an attack, I think."

"Hrmmm... any clue where we are?"

"Somewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom. Duh." Roy grunted.

Thanks for the description.

"Got any clue where the others went? Or how long I was out for?" Lemmy thought for a moment, looking out at his surroundings. He made L's with his hands to distinguish left from right.

This was the first time he actually had a good look at the area.

On the right was a vast sea of trees that stretched on forever. On the left was a plain, boring grassland with few trees dotting it. A small village was in the distance, awake and lively despite the setting sun. Far in the distance was a set of mountains that seemingly never stopped. The sun cast a low shadow off of everything, but those shadows would soon disappear and be replaced by pure darkness.

"They went that way," Lemmy pointed to the grassland. He remembered hearing the crash come from that direction.

"And I don't know how long you were out for. A while, I guess." Lemmy slumped, resting his head on Roy's.

"Cheer up, Lem. We'll find em. I just know it." Roy began walking towards the plains, not bothering to waste any more time. He did not want to be out and about by the time the moon was up. There were plenty of creatures that wouldn't take 'We're the King's sons' as a reason not to eat them.

They walked in silence for a while. Neither one knew what to say.

"Should we head for that village?" Roy asked, hoping his older brother would respond.

"If you want," It was not the answer he was hoping for, but Roy nodded his head in response.

"Okay, we'll head there. Let's just hope it's not filled with Toads who'll hate us." He waited a moment before continuing.

"And uh, Lemmy?"

"Hrm?"

"Let me know if you need anything, alright? I'm here for yah, bud." Lemmy quietly hummed in response but didn't say anything. Roy didn't push further, walking in the direction of the village. Again, they returned to silence. The only noise that filled the silence was that of Roy's footsteps and their synced breathing.

The moon was rising by the time they reached the village. The temperature had dropped severely, and Lemmy was practically shaking. He had no body mass to keep him warm.

Roy stomped into the village. It certainly wasn't small, but wasn't large either. Some of the lights in the houses flickered, and others were off. He walked past wearily, inspecting each house carefully. Each looked to be inhabited by a Toad family.

He knocked on one of the doors with lights that were on. He heard shuffling on the other side, and the door opened just a tad. A little Toad was on the other side. He was barely Lemmy's height, with a white top with yellow spots. He wore a yellow jacket with a white and black shirt underneath.

"Mooooooom! There are two weird monsters at the door!" The little Toad called. More shuffling came from behind the door, and it opened fully to reveal a yellow Toadette.

"What do you two Koopas want? You know you aren't allowed in the village!" Roy was confused but didn't think about it.

"We need somewhere to stay, ma'am. Me and my bro were attacked while on our ship. We ain't from 'round here, and it's freezin' out 'ere." The Toadette considered his words.

"I'm sorry, but we just can't let you in. Try somewhere else." The Toad was about to close the door, but Roy stuck his foot in the way. The Toad flinched back and let go of the door.

"Please, ma'am. My lil bro 'ere is gonna freeze to death, and I can't hold onto him much longer." The Toad frowned, kicking Roy's foot out of the way.

"No means no, mister. Go find someone else to let you homeless Cheeps into their home. Good. Night." She slammed the door, leaving Roy and Lemmy outside.

"Well, what a waste of time," Roy grumbled. Lemmy started coughing. Roy grabbed him from atop his shoulders and held him in his arms.

"R-Roy, I-I'm co-cold."

"I know, Lemmy. We'll find somewhere to stay. Don't worry." He carefully pat his older sibling's head, hugging him closely so that he could hopefully warm up the little Dragon-Koopa. He climbed down the steps and off the porch. He tried another door, but there was no response.

What am I gonna do if Lemmy dies? What will King Dad think? And what about Iggy? He'll tear my head off!

Please hang tight, Lemmy. For both my sake and your own. I believe in you.

Again and again, they were either turned down or they got no response. Roy was starting to lose hope.

Finally, when they came to what seemed to be the last door in the village, they got a response. It was an older Toad, his face wrinkly from age. He had red spots and a red shirt on.

"Well, young fellers. What can I do for you?" Lemmy started coughing again, and Roy hugged him tighter.

"M-my bro and I really need somewhere to stay. It would just be for dah night, but it's freezin' out 'ere and I think Lemmy 'ere has caught somethin'. No one else has let us in and-" The old Toad stepped to the side, causing for Roy to stop talking.

"Come in come in. Sorry for the mess. My grandkids were just playing with their toys." Roy sighed, relieved that they had finally found someone nice enough to let them in. He stepped into the small house, ducking underneath the door frame.

"Thank you so much. It means a lot."

"Don't worry about it, young one. Now, just have a seat right there on that there couch. I'll get one of my grandkids to bring you guys some blankets to warm ya'll up while I make some tea." Roy sat down on the small fuzzy couch, setting Lemmy down beside him, leaning up against him. He was barely keeping his eyes open, and was still shivering.

It'll be alright, Lemmy. Just hang tight.

"Loretta! Lobelia! Lawrence!" The old Toad called. Down the steps ran three little Toads, almost like the one from the first cottage. The two females had red spots and wore red clothes, while the third had green spots and wore an arrangement of mix-matched cloths.

"These here Dragon-Koopas needed a place to stay. Can ya'll help them get situated? And go find your mother, Lawrence." The Toad made his way to what Roy assumed was the kitchen. The male Toad ran back up the stairs, presumably to go find their mother. One of the girls ran off in another direction and the final, smallest Toad ran up to the two.

"Hi! I'm Lobelia, but you can call me Lobby! What are your names?"

"Well I'm Roy, and this is my brother Lemmy." Lobelia hopped around happily. Her voice was squeaky, and she was so happy to make new friends.

"Those are awesome names! I wish I had a name that wasn't like my siblings'... My parents named me like Grandpoppa named his kids and Momma." Lobelia reminded Roy of Morton.

I hope he and the others are alright...

The other female Toad, presumably named Loretta, returned, blankets in her hands. She handed them to Roy, who took both of them and wrapped them around Lemmy. He scooted closer to him, hugging him closely.

"I'm Loretta," The other female whispered. She seemed shy.

"Is there anything else we could get you?" Lobby asked. Roy nodded his head.

"Could you light the fire, maybe? I'd appreciate it, and I'm sure Lemmy would as well." Loretta nodded and padded over to the fire. Lobelia followed her over, interested.

The male Toad returned, an older Toadette following him.

"What did I need to be brought down here for, Lawrence?" She asked. She didn't seem to notice the two Dragon-Koopas sitting on the couch.

"Grandpoppa said to come find you. He's in the kitchen." The adult groaned, heading for the place in question. Lawrence chuckled, walking over to Roy and Lemmy.

The three Toads were so much smaller than Roy, but they were about Lemmy's size. It was so strange having so many others surrounding him that were so tiny in comparison.

The two finally got the fire started. Roy picked up Lemmy and walked on over to the fire, where he sat down. He put Lemmy in his lap.

"T-this is a lot better, R-Roy." He started coughing again. Roy pat his older brother's head, still concerned.

It'll be okay, Lemmy. I promise.

"I'm glad. Now, why don't you get some rest? You really need it." Lemmy snuggled closer to his sibling, closing his eyes and relaxing.

"Okay okay, kiddos. Get to bed now!" The grandfather Toad's voice came from behind Roy. It didn't seem to startle Lemmy, but it sure startled him.

"Oh come on, Grandpoppa!"

"Pllllease let us stay up!"

"Go on, get to bed now!" Roy listened to the kids' shoes shuffle up the stairs as he intently watched the fire.

"Laurie, I want you to meet Roy and Lemmy." Roy turned his head. The two older Toads had returned to his side.

"Greetings. I'm Laurie, and you've obviously met my father, Thomas." Roy nodded his head.

"I'm Roy, and dis is my brother Lemmy. I appreciate you letting us into your house." Laurie smiled, settling down beside Roy at the fire, although she was still little ways away. He didn't blame her. She had let a stranger into her house, and he wasn't even the same species.

She handed the Dragon-Koopa the cup of tea she was holding.

"It's terrible that no one else in the village would let a couple of poor young Dragon-Koopas into their home for the night." The grandfather, Thomas, said, sitting beside his daughter. He handed Roy the other cup of tea, and he placed it beside him. He'd give it to Lemmy when he woke up.

"Is your little brother alright? He was coughing before." Thomas asked. Roy cringed at the mention of Lemmy being younger but didn't say anything about it.

"I ain't sure. Lem seemingly broke his leg before, but I don't know 'bout the coughin'." Thomas and Laurie exchanged glances, and Laurie scooted closer to the two. Roy covered Lemmy with his arm, growling at her. He swished his tail and barred his teeth. Laurie flinched backward.

"Easy now. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt him. I just want to look at him and make sure he's okay. I promise I won't do anything." Roy hesitantly removed his arm but didn't stop the rumbling noise.

Laurie gently scooted closer until she was practically in Roy's lap with Lemmy.

"Lemmy, wake up," Roy said gently, tapping his brother's shoulder.

"Wha?"

"Dis 'ere is Laurie. She's gonna have a look at you, 'kay? She ain't gonna hurt you she says." Lemmy sat up, shaking his head as he did so. He blinked a few times and looked at Laurie.

"Wh-where are we?"

"Don't worry 'bout dat. I'll tell yah later. Just let the nice Toadette look over yah and then you can get back to sleep, 'kay?" Lemmy nodded his head.

"I'm going to look at your foot first, okay? Your brother said it might be broken. Does it hurt when I do this?" She touched his leg and he cringed. It definitely hurt.

She continued to look over him for a while, asking him questions and carefully reviewing what she was doing before she actually did anything.

Finally, she had finished. Lemmy was thankful, and when she crawled out of Roy's lap he gladly took up that space by stretching himself out. He curled up like a cat once again, his foot laying out awkwardly as to not hurt it. He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he did.

Finally, I can rest. Today has been a loooong day. I'm glad to get some sleep.

"Roy?" Lemmy asked, interrupting something Roy was talking to the Toadette about. He opened his eyes and looked up at his younger brother.

"Huh? Wassup Lem?"

"Do you think Iggy is doing okay?" Roy hesitated for a moment. He sighed.

"I dunno, Lem. I'd hope so, but we got no way of knowin'. I can promise you dat we'll find em though, 'kay? Don't give up hope." Lemmy huffed, closing his eyes again.

"Get some sleep, bud. See yah tomorrow." Lemmy yawned and got situated again before finally falling asleep once again.

"You poor things. Do you have any idea where your parents are? Or where your home is?" Laurie asked. Roy shrugged.

"We ain't got any clue were King Dad is. And no idea where home is either. We're pretty far away from it, dat's all I know." Thomas raised his eyebrows at the mention of the word 'King', but didn't say anything.

"You poor things." They went into silence. Roy nervously pet Lemmy's head like a cat's.

"What 'bout Lemmy? What's his condition?"

"Well, his leg is broken, but you already assumed that. His coughing just seems to be from the cold, as it has stopped. I would suggest keeping him out of the cold for as long as you can, okay? Why not stay here for another day or two?" Roy considered her option.

Well, I can't say that's a bad idea, but won't the others be worried about us? That is, if they're not worrying about themselves...

"Dat sounds like a good idea, Doc." Laurie smiled, getting up from her seat. She took Roy's finished cup of tea from off the ground and Lemmy's untouched one and helped her father up.

"Well, we best be letting you get sleep. You need it. I bet your day has been a long one." Roy gave her a soft smile. The two Toads left the room, heading for the stairs.

"Sleep tight, boys. We'll take care of you tomorrow." Laurie flicked off the lights, leaving Roy in the dark with his own thoughts and his sleeping older brother.