Hello everyone! Terribly sorry for the delay, but I couldn't think of a better day to update. That said, Happy Father's Day, and strap in, it's a long one, but I am stubborn and refuse to cut it into two chapters. Hopefully I made the right decision.

The trek from the infirmary, by contrast, was relatively without incident. Ludwig had tried his best to maintain a respectable distance between the two of them, but would inevitably stumble into Bowser's path upon sensing any sort of impending obstacle, much to his mild amusement. However, just as Bower became accustomed to this new rhythm, they approached the door they had left behind some unspecified amount of time ago.

As the door swung open once more, Ludwig seemed to remember himself, and hastily released his grip on Bowser's hand, his other hand firmly clutching the makeshift icepack squarely center against his injured eye in an attempt to protect it from scrutiny. Whether this was intentional or instinctual, Bowser didn't know, but he had barely begun to formulate the question in his head when Ludwig hissed, "I thought you said Kamek would be here…" He hadn't even had enough time to look around the room, but as he gave it a disinterested once-over, he became aware of that Kamek was indeed absent. In truth, he wasn't surprised, Kamek was as thorough as he was old and slow, and with a kid as volatile as Iggy, he had to imagine what kind of an ordeal it must have been just getting him to calm down.

"Ludwig!"

He whirled around to see the remaining five children, very obviously exhausted but equally convicted, making their way over to where he and Ludwig stood with a concerned briskness. Ludwig, who had been in the midst of anxiously rambling, immediately stopped himself as he heard his name being called, but grew tense, as if he were silently picking up where he had left off. Bowser laughed quietly to himself and flippantly nudged Ludwig's arm, then quickly raised his own into the air as Ludwig shot a glare in his direction. "I'll be honest, I thought he was. But it doesn't even matter, because everyone is fine, okay? They don't need…" Bowser flinched, but it was too late. His train-wreck of a half-baked thought hung mangled in the air above them and a considerable pause ensued, punctuated only by a heavy sigh of resignation.

"…I know," Ludwig whispered tiredly. "I just didn't want them to be alone." Bowser placed a hand on his shoulder apologetically.

"Hey, I'm sorry, you know I didn't mean it like that…" he began gently. "I just think that you should put a little more faith in them, that's all." Ludwig offered him an empty smile and nothing more, realigning himself as his siblings finally reached them.

"Well if it ain't the local heavyweight boxing champion!" The girl-Wendy, he recalled, approached first, exuding an air of nonchalance about her mannerisms so forced that he could almost visualize its mechanical framework. Though Bowser wasn't surprised, he was deeply saddened by the fact that not one of them seemed fazed by this. She moved up to give him a playful punch to the arm, but Ludwig withdrew, scoffing. Wendy snickered. "Good to see you back in commission."

"Have you only come to mock me?" Oddly, he looked not at Wendy, but at Shades, who had followed close behind her, and in his arms, the sheepish child who seemed as though he would have liked nothing more than to return to the shadows he had been content to hide in. What were their names again-

He answered in kind, his voice dripping with a cool indifference. "Not a chance. Don't want to end up like Iggy." Ludwig's good eye narrowed as he growled, and started forward, only for Bowser, in a tired panic, to quickly pull him back. Stunned, embarrassed, and a bit disheveled at the unexpected force, he cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his footing.

"If you speak to me that way again, I cannot say for certain what will become of you." Though Bowser could not see his eyes, he was certain that he had rolled them. Nevertheless, he clutched the little one slightly tighter against him and maintained his distance.

"Oh please, are you gonna fight everyone that makes a joke now? I don't understand why you insist on makin' a fool of yourself when no one's even laughing at you-"

"Roy."

As though they had just remembered he was present, all attentions snapped to Bowser, who had no time to be proud of himself for accidentally remembering a name he had only learned a few minutes ago. Seriously, how do they even have the energy-? Roy's lax expression was all but lost and he tensed up considerably as he turned to face Bowser, intending to face the consequences of his abrasive honesty head on. Bowser was admittedly impressed, and a touch relieved. At least this kid was direct. "Sir?" he lowered his head respectfully.

"Bowser." Roy looked up in surprise and eyed Ludwig inquisitively, who only gave him an irritated shrug in response.

"Uhh, right then…" He didn't seem to understand the significance of what Bowser was implying, and once again bowed slightly, his movements severely limited by the child in his arms who gave him away. This little one-Morton, was it? The little one hadn't dared move a muscle on his own, so as he trembled slightly, he became to Bowser a clear projection of just how hard Roy was attempting to control his own anger. He sighed. It was growing difficult for Bowser to chide him, if not for his own fear of another brawl, then his secret appreciation for Roy's direct, if slightly pointed, candor. He had been trying to convey more or less the same message to Ludwig for the better part of an hour, so he had to applaud his efficiency, or rather, his poorly hidden concern. What could he say? They were too similar.

There was really only one way he could think of to de-escalate the situation. In another time, he would have likely hesitated to intervene, as not to disturb what he had believed to have been a solid group dynamic. But he had witnessed them splinter, and one by one they would all eventually come apart in their own ways, and as to what that may entail, well…it certainly frightened Bowser. A little discord he could handle, but to see it so intrinsically entwined with the very foundations of every action, every encounter, every relationship…perhaps it was his own physical exhaustion, or perhaps it was his empathy, or quite possibly something stronger than the two that compelled him to end it once and for all. He was here now, and he wasn't about to let anyone else get hurt on his watch.

With his mind made up, he moved to Roy, and as he vaguely flinched, Bowser knelt before him, signaling his benign intentions. He watched Morton's eyes widen in surprise as placed a sympathetic hand on Roy's shoulder, to which Roy, wholly puzzled by Bowser's lack of anger, responded by looking up at him apprehensively.

"I meant to thank you. Good work." Instantaneously, both Roy and Ludwig turned red, though for different reasons. Roy seemed to be thrown off by the genuine praise he had received, and attempted to hide his face behind his brother, looking around.

"I…I mean sure thing…what for?" he sputtered. Ludwig stomped up beside him, posture as perfect as he could manage, and fumed, "I agree. Whatever for?" Bowser smiled wearily and settled his free hand on Ludwig's shoulder to placate him.

"Look around. Nothing's broken, nothing's on fire, we're all together, and everything's okay. The bar's been set pretty low around here, so I see this as a success." Ludwig huffed, but the color eventually faded from his cheeks, deciding against continuing the argument to preserve as much of himself as he was able. Bowser snorted, almost too loudly to hear a small voice of protest from behind.

"Iggy isn't here."

The others parted to reveal its owner, Rainbow-Lemmy-currently staring anxiously at the door, one hand buried in his hair, and the other clasping that of the youngest, the toddler whose name…escaped him at the moment. Noticing now that all eyes were on him, he likely realized that his comment had been more audible than he had initially intended, so he put up his hands and plastered on a large grin in an attempt to neutralize Bowser's look of guilt. Bowser meanwhile, was 0 for 2.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh no, that's okay, I know you didn't mean to exclude him. Sorry, I'm just a little worried, that's all…but I'm sure everything will be just fine!" The young child made a noise of discontent, as all the direct attention began to make him uncomfortable. Lemmy immediately turned to him and gave him a reassuring pat on the head. "Hear that? No use panicking over it anymore, right? Iggy'll get fixed up, and who knows? Maybe everything'll be different this time around!"

Lemmy's smile seemed to reassure the toddler, but for everyone else, Bowser especially, the tension grew almost exponentially. By the time Bowser had approached him, it had been practically wiped off of his face as the implications of what he had just admitted dawned on him.

"How many times has this happened before?" his voice was low enough that only the two could hear.

That didn't stop Lemmy from attempting to underplay it anyways. His posture and expression shifted defensively, but he regained his bearings and smiled tiredly all the same. "It doesn't really matter anymore, does it? Why dwell on it?" he almost whispered back.

As Bowser was finally close enough to look him over for the first time, he noticed several counterarguments littered about multiple different areas of his tiny body, each more faded than the last, but planted nonetheless. One appeared a particularly fresh shade of purple, and as Bowser moved to point it out, Lemmy surprised him, jumping quite a distance away from him with unexpected agility. He giggled at the others' expressions, then grinned at Bowser. "Wanna see me do it again?" he inquired, equally jovial and threatening.

"Lemmy, enough. This is no time for your childish tricks." Ludwig reprimanded uneasily. He too, it seemed, was a bit unnerved at the apparent exchange. Lemmy only shrugged airily.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself."

Bowser didn't even get to respond. The door suddenly opened, and there stood Kamek with a good-as-new Iggy, starry-eyed and speechless, gazing upon him as though he had seen the face of god. He hadn't heard the words between them, but Kamek seemed amused, flattered even. They must have teleported here. As if to confirm his theory, Kamek winked and twirled his wand a few times in one fluent motion for good measure. Any other day, Bowser would have been absolutely relentless in tormenting him about that dorky display of gratification, but he stood transfixed by what it was Iggy seemed to be holding in his arms, praying to all that existed in the universe that it wasn't what he believed it to be. Kamek could not possibly be that incompetent.

Bowser vaguely realized that the others appeared unsure of themselves, and looked to him as though they expected something of him, like they were waiting to see what his next course of action would be. Taking this into account, Lemmy stopped him before he could proceed. He dropped his easy grin, and lowered his voice just above barely audible such that Bowser was forced to bend before him to hear. "Please forgive him. Please? He didn't mean anything by it, honest, he just-he's one of us, okay? He needs you too." Bowser nodded absently, but as he looked him over again, he deflated a bit.

"I won't let this continue." Lemmy brightened, his eyes sparkling with unexplainable felicity as he darted forward and retreated with such a swiftness that Bowser did not recognize he had been embraced until he felt the warmth within him rise again. As Lemmy moved away towards the others, he offered him a genuine, serene smile.

"I trust you."

Bowser fumbled a bit before finally righting himself, and headed for the pair at the door. As if he could sense Bowser's wariness, Iggy immediately shuffled behind Kamek as he approached, inadvertently obscuring what he had been carrying. Kamek nodded in greeting and chuckled softly at Iggy's apparent aversion, attempting to persuade him out of hiding.

"Come now, he won't eat you, I promise." Despite this, Iggy remained precisely where he was.

"What took you so long?" Bowser griped, though the slightest hint of movement from the suspicious bundle in Iggy's arms indicated to him that he already knew the answer to that.

Kamek seemed unfazed at his irritation. "We got a little…held up."

Bowser rubbed his temples, breathing deeply in an attempt to circumvent his ire. It didn't work. "I can see that," he grumbled almost in resignation. He stiffly held out his arms to Iggy, but he only stared back, very clearly on edge. Bowser exhaled heavily and softened his expression, knowing Iggy would likely only comply when he was absolutely certain he was not going to clean his clock. It never failed to produce a pang of sadness from within him whenever these remnants of their time on the streets revealed themselves, as Iggy flinched in anticipation of a blow that wasn't coming, even though Bowser hadn't even entertained the thought of raising a hand against him.

Kamek, on the other hand, well, he was just lucky his hands were about to be full.

"Hey," he mumbled softly, prompting Iggy to peek out from behind where Kamek stood. "Mind if I take him? Kid gets pretty finicky if he's up past his bedtime."

Iggy relented, slowly emerging to hand off the pile of blankets encasing Bowser Junior, who, to Bowser's annoyance, was wide awake, though thankfully calm for the time being. "You should be asleep," he complained, and though he looked at Junior, his frustration could not have been more clearly directed at Kamek.

"I need to speak with you for a moment."

"I don't think that would be-" Bowser shot him a glare, daring him to argue, and thankfully, he took the hint and followed him out of earshot. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Lemmy quickly run to fill the vacancy while the rest of the children continued to hesitate. He felt Junior stretch himself out a bit, uttering a soft noise of content as he settled in. As Bowser brushed the top of his head, pleading silently for him to return to sleep, Junior only blankly stared up at him in unwitting defiance. Great. It's not like I don't already have enough to deal with…

"Kamek, I swear if you're trying to make a point here, it better be a damn good one. What the hell do you think you're doing, waking up my son at this hour?"

"Your son would have woken up the entire castle, had we not passed by. I tried to quiet him, but he is his father's child; he would not heed me," he shrugged, then stole a glance at Iggy, adding, "I imagine he only wanted what every child wants."

Bowser followed his gaze. "What, to be trapped in the arms of a hostile nutcase? What were you thinking, letting that kid touch my son? You know how violent he can be, what if he lashed out again when he saw Ludwig? What then?"

"You are speaking in the hypothetical."

"Kamek, I don't need to, you were there. You watched it happen. He's just too dangerous right now, you've seen what he's capable of-"

"Yes, I have." So unexpectedly curt was Kamek's response that Bowser choked on his own words. "But you sir, are as short-sighted as ever, it would seem." Bowser fumed, but did not want to risk proving Kamek's point, and instead remained silent, permitting him to elaborate. But he did not. Rather, he was quiet for a few moments, but before Bowser could grow sufficiently surly, he broke the silence with a sigh. "Do you still not understand? Were you not listening? I have told you I was unable to quiet him, and yet he sits there silent in your arms. How do you suppose that happened?"

Bowser froze, and the realization hit him like a blow to the head. "I-he…it was…how did Iggy-?" He flushed in embarrassment and his stomach churned in remorse. He had left the room in such a state, Bowser had been genuinely frightened by his unpredictability, and yet, his infamously difficult son had seemingly taken to him. Undeniably unpredictable indeed, he just couldn't wrap his head around it. He looked over to where Iggy and Lemmy were conversing with one another, as if nothing had ever occurred. Lemmy practically bounced with energy, and Iggy laughed jubilantly, clapping at his brother's hyperactive antics.

He's one of us, okay?

"Appears you have only that 'nutcase' to thank for your sanity." Kamek chuckled, but it only made Bowser feel worse, upon hearing his words reiterated back to him. Iggy likely didn't understand any more than the rest of them did, and at the end of the day, he was a child, and a child who needed help. He was the adult, and though the unknown was still a frightening adversary to confront, it was his responsibility not to lash out at what he could not understand.

He felt Kamek's hand settle upon his arm, and his expression was one of understanding. "My boy, do not think too badly of yourself, you are new to this. Parents deal almost exclusively in the realm of the hypothetical."

Bowser snorted at that. He knew it all too well, having begun this entire escapade with wild speculative scenarios following what had been, in hindsight, a minor irregularity in his gut.

"Your worries are not entirely unfounded," Kamek continued, "but he truly is a bright little boy. I assure you, I have seen what he is capable of, and if he can learn to control his temper, well…I can only imagine the great works he will be capable of then." He smiled fondly as he mused for a few moments, then returned to himself, adjusting his glasses. "But enough about the future. I understand there is another that is in need of me at present, yes?"

Bowser lead Kamek over to where Ludwig, who, despite his limited sight and dexterity, had since appointed himself to watch over the toddler who Lemmy had forgotten in his trepidation, still clutching the limp old bag of vegetables Bowser had given him. Kamek was far from impressed by the sight, and looked as though he would have smacked Bowser upside the head had he not been carrying Junior.

"Was this really the best you could do?" he deadpanned. Surprisingly, Ludwig answered first.

"It's a bit of a long story." His smile was apologetic and tense, and he said nothing more. Kamek narrowed his eyes, but wordlessly outstretched his hand.

"I see. Would you come with me please? We won't be very long."

"Where are you going? Why are you taking him outside?" Bowser asked as the two began to depart.

"I should like to speak to him as well. One cannot make a fair assessment of a situation without hearing both sides." Ludwig and Bowser simultaneously groaned, and Kamek eyed them both dubiously. "…It appears as though you have already had this conversation then? Very well. I promise to be brief."

He sent Ludwig off ahead towards the door before turning to face Bowser, a wide smirk pasted across his face. "I see you have actually done as I asked you to do."

"Don't get used to it."

"I don't plan to. I think I'm finally beginning to trust your judgement."

"Get lost, will you? I'm not a kid anymore, you don't need to babysit."

"I know," Kamek wheezed. "Now it's your job." Amused with himself, he cackled all the way to the door, letting out a hearty cough once he had finally expended himself. Wrinkled old fart. Bowser huffed and turned to the toddler he was supposedly 'babysitting' and found him gone. Off to a great start. Evidently, while he and Kamek were speaking with one another, the child had noticed Ludwig walking towards the exit, and, having no one else to keep him occupied, he followed him.

When he began causing problems, Ludwig attempted to reason with him. "I'll be back soon, alright? There's no need to fuss." The toddler, however, had purportedly grown tired of being ignored and passed from person to person, and stood his ground, clinging to Ludwig, refusing to be pushed aside yet again. Even Kamek, for all of his wisdom, logic, and experience, proved to be no match for him. Ludwig tried to make his way through the door anyway, and the child began to tug on him to prevent him from leaving. Kamek sought to talk him down, but it was no use, he had already made up his mind.

When Ludwig's one arm proved not enough to keep him at bay, he finally tried his hand at pulling his far arm inward, and succeeded in knocking the makeshift icepack out of Ludwig's grip. Ludwig immediately stiffened, but wasted no time using his now free hand to his advantage. He sharply plucked the kid off of him and set him down an arm's length away, looking him dead in the eyes.

"Get off of me, Larry." He spoke firmly, but Bowser could detect the hint of panic in his voice at having lost his makeshift mask, at having been exposed by the one person he wanted least to see him in such a state. Bowser recalled Ludwig's desperation in the infirmary. It was no less ridiculous, but at least now he could put a name with a face.

Larry, meanwhile, presumably got the message, and didn't make a motion to follow as Kamek and Ludwig left the room. He looked around the room briefly, but ultimately plopped down where he stood in front of the door. It was a bit of a pitiful sight, but no one else seemed to pay him any mind. Was this the status quo? Larry seemed genuinely at a loss of what to do with himself in Ludwig's absence, and though he was the youngest of their group, he continued to sit alone, likely awaiting his brother's return.

Before he knew it, his legs were moving, only half-aware of his words and actions, as everything took a backseat to his sudden overwhelming desire to console this child who had been abandoned many times by many people, himself included. He just had to take care of something first. Stopping in front of the frozen forms of Iggy and Lemmy, who clearly weren't expecting him to initiate a conversation with them so soon, Bowser cleared his throat. Lemmy stepped forward in front of Iggy, as if to shield him, but Iggy groaned with muted indignation, and stepped around him and settled by his side, arms crossed.

He eyed Bowser with a strange mixture of caution and temerity. "What do you want?"

Bowser and Lemmy were taken aback at his forward approach, and Lemmy shot him a mortified glare before sheepishly turning to Bowser. "So sorry about that, Iggy's never really had much of a filter-"

"Pretty bold tone for a kid less than half my size." Bowser couldn't stop himself, and cringed as the self-awareness set in. Pretty bold observation for a guy holding a baby.

Iggy narrowed his eyes and shortly after, the distance between them. "You don't scare me." Lemmy looked on in horror, but Bowser only laughed. Iggy looked up angrily, expecting an ugly sneer of contempt only to be met with warm, if slightly self-conscious smile.

"I hoped not. Though, you sure scared the hell out of me back there." He readjusted Junior in such a way that he regained the use of an arm, using it to squeeze Iggy's shoulder. "But I don't think that's what either of us intended, right?"

Flinching at the contact, Iggy's mouth hung open slightly, staring at his shoulder in disbelief, then back up at Bowser, scrutinizing him for any potential signs of deception. Then, when he appeared somewhat satisfied, he placed one wary hand on top of Bowser's, in a move that prevented him from extending his affections, yet also prevented him from pulling away entirely. It was in this awkward, middle-ground position that Bowser saw Iggy as he truly was, absolutely stuck. There was no question about it, he was too tentative to be trusting, but too rash to be reserved.

Bowser didn't know whether he was making things better or worse, but as he held Iggy from a distance, he felt his breathing speed up, and the guilt crept in again. He had spent so much of his time casting his judgement upon a child who looked as though he had been victimized far more often than he was willing to let on, if not by these children, then…Maybe it was all he knew. He looked at Lemmy, absentmindedly rubbing what was likely a sore spot on his arm, and his sympathy became a touch diluted. Doesn't mean he can continue on like this. He promised Lemmy…but…

Lemmy was also right. Iggy needed him too.

Bowser softened. "It's going to be okay, alright? I promise." Though he meant well, he seemed to have overstepped into territory in which Iggy was no longer comfortable, as he would no longer make eye contact with him, and gently brushed his hand away. That was alright with Bowser, so long as he was able to at least make the sentiment known. Mumbling a nonsensical apology, Iggy fiddled with his glasses nervously, uncomfortable with the attention he was being given all of a sudden. Now where had he seen that before? Bowser smiled to himself. For people with such a disdain for one another, Iggy and Ludwig shared quite a few of the same traits.

Respectfully, Bowser removed himself to give him some space, opting instead for a more…familiar approach. "No worries, just do me a favor, okay? I know Ludwig isn't the…easiest person to talk to…but you know you can't just beat the crap out of people who make you angry."

Iggy exchanged looks with Lemmy before a mischievous grin immediately grew on his face. "Of course not, that's what Roy's for." He and Lemmy then began to cackle like madmen, as though it was the funniest joke they had ever heard. Bowser on the other hand, remained silent, not sure whether to be confused or concerned. Lemmy caught his eye and snorted.

"Inside joke. He's only kidding." Both it was, then. No wonder they got along so well. Both Iggy and Lemmy seemed to be equally skilled at deflection, so they made a game of batting around a topic between themselves until some unwitting third party ended up getting beaned in the face.

Bowser tried again. "I'm serious, Iggy." This time, Iggy sobered and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I know, and I'm sorry, really. I am. I shouldn't have punched him. And what's more, I'm sorry you got stuck with him for an entire hour. But I honestly didn't expect Mr. Know-It-All to smash my face in, so I guess we're all paying for my lapse in judgement."

Bowser eyed him incredulously at that gross understatement, as he recalled the situation to have been rooted far deeper than a mere "lapse in judgement", but ultimately he decided to let it slide for now, as another question occurred to him.

"How did you know that Ludwig went with me?"

Iggy shrugged. "Kamek healed me up, and I got Ludwig pretty good. I figured someone had to help him out, and Lemmy filled in the rest." He snickered, "I didn't exactly get to admire my handiwork though, he had that damn thing over it."

There was so much to unpack there. Bowser couldn't stop the panic from surfacing, and Iggy immediately scowled. "Hey, look, if I could go back and stop myself I would..." His face fell, and he sighed shakily. "Please believe me, I would. I swear I never wanted to hurt him. I don't even really know why I did it-I…he just made me so angry…"

"Did he say something to you?" He knew Ludwig was not one to hesitate to make his opinions known when sufficiently provoked, but Iggy shook his head sadly.

"With Ludwig, it's always what he doesn't say. But I always know what he thinks of me, of everyone else. How we're all just lowly peasants he can order around because his folks had greasy palms-" he began spitefully, before Bowser put a stop to his pointed words.

"And where are they now?"

Iggy's words died on his lips, and he seemed to genuinely mull the thought over. His expression softened in resignation. In return, Bowser mitigated his own expression. He supposed he hadn't been entirely inaccurate in his assumptions knowing now what he did about Ludwig, and they had very clearly affected him severely. Bending down again, he leveled with Iggy.

"Ludwig says a lot without really saying anything at all. Not sure how he does it, but once you navigate your way through all the jargon, I promise you, he doesn't feel that way."

Iggy didn't seem to buy it. "You don't know that…"

Bowser chuckled to hide his hesitation, choosing his words carefully out of respect for the promise he made to Ludwig.

"It was a pretty productive hour."

Iggy stifled a laugh despite himself. Though muted, it was raucous enough to cause Junior to stir in his arms, and suddenly, Bowser remembered why it was he had approached them. He motioned for Lemmy to draw closer, but kept his attentions on Iggy.

"Can you do something for me?" Iggy raised his eyebrows, but nodded. Bowser began to slowly transfer his son to Iggy, much to his surprise. "Can you hold him for me? I gotta go do something really quick." Iggy looked stunned, having no time to protest before Junior was returned to his arms. All three held their breath and waited for all hell to break loose, but were surprised to find that at this point in the evening, Bowser Junior was unfazed by the movement, seemingly more interested in the barrage of new faces he was met with as he was passed from perspective to perspective. This was rare, a good omen indeed.

"Wha-" Iggy couldn't even finish the thought. Lemmy seemed to get a kick out of it, and sidled up to him to get a better view. Iggy looked up at Bowser, his confusion matched by a glimmer of panic in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

Bowser winked as he walked towards the downtrodden toddler by the door. "I trust you," throwing over his shoulder, "besides, he likes you better anyway." He didn't look back, but he could feel Lemmy beaming at him, and the warmth returned again, more aggressively than before.

Encouraged, he turned his attentions back to Larry, who had since curled up against the wall and buried the bottom half of his face in his tiny folded arms. Bowser approached him carefully, as not to frighten him, but Larry didn't seem to take notice of him at all until he took a seat next to him, leaning heavily on the wall at his back.

"Mind if I sit here?" he began gently.

With a squeak of surprise, Larry immediately unfolded himself, falling sideways in awe at the sheer size of this faintly familiar stranger, and as he looked up at Bowser, his eyes shined with unnoticed tears.

"Hey, it's okay little guy…please don't cry. Ludwig'll be back soon."

But as the tears continued to fall, Bowser knew that wasn't the source of his distress. Though he was too small to fully understand what was happening, he was old enough to read the room, empathetic enough to mirror the fear, frustration, and confusion of his older siblings, and aware enough to be discouraged at their continued dismissal. And as he proceeded to ignore Bowser's attempt to console him, Ludwig's apparent abandonment seemed to push him to finally accept the solitude. Bowser, only somewhat familiar with the logic of very young children, wondered if only Ludwig's return would set him right again, but when Larry sniffed quietly, as though he were making a deliberate effort not to disturb the others, he decided he couldn't wait that long.

He reached out and softly patted the top of Larry's head, prompting him to again turn his glistening eyes upward. Bowser gave him a bright smile, only slightly tarnished by his own exhaustion. "Sorry I kept you waiting, kid. But I've been looking for you everywhere,"

Larry's eyes widened and flashed in dim recognition. He inched forward and cocked his head in curiosity.

"I'm glad I found you, Larry. You and the others…" He moved to pull his hand away so that he could reorient himself, but Larry reached up and held fast, evidently afraid he was attempting to perpetuate the cycle of neglect.

"Stay." Larry spoke in a quavering tone that was equally demanding and desperate as it was inaudible. All the same, Bowser caught it, albeit barely, and let his instincts do the rest. Allowing himself a small chuckle at the toddler's cadence, he slid his hand down to cup one side of Larry's face, and extended his other arm outward in a show of reassurance.

"C'mere, squirt."

Larry didn't hesitate, stumbling into Bowser's open arms before he missed his chance, and any uneasiness he may have felt at being approached by a foreigner evaporated in the warmth of the unexpected affection. Bowser lifted him off of the ground, and the muscle memory he had accumulated over the course of the evening guided his arms to situate Larry against his shoulder, and much like his older brother, tiny arms reciprocated the gesture to the best of his ability. However, what he had assumed to be sentiment, he quickly, and somewhat painfully, found to be Larry's way of asserting his claim of ownership to the others as he clutched Bowser tightly, arms spread wide defensively.

"Let go, Larry. You're hurting me."

Larry's eyes shined in terrified defiance, the last time he let go of someone, they hadn't come back. He buried his head into his chest and clung on even tighter. Really, he should have known that he wouldn't comply, he was a toddler after all. He may be out of his area of expertise, but he knew enough to formulate a plan of action from whatever skills he had amassed over the last few months. He's just like Junior…but bigger…? Yeah. He smiled. He may be running on exhaust fumes, but he could handle this. He moved against the wall, letting the tension drain out of him as he gently swayed to a familiar rhythm.

"I've got you, okay? You can let go…I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I'm right here…I got you." He continued to whisper softly, and gradually, Larry's grip eased, and when Bowser no longer felt it, he realized that he had accidentally dozed off, exhaustion finally getting the better of him.

Bowser grinned. Experientially, his greatest victories were often coupled with the greatest costs. He had successfully put an end to his father's tyranny, and liberated the kingdom from his psychopathy, and yet, what had been left to him? A broken and barren land, reaped of many innocents, suddenly thrust into the incapable hands of an untrained and inexperienced delinquent who left much to be desired…He convinced himself he was proud of this triumph, if for no other reason than the weight that it carried, but as Larry slept peacefully in his arms, he admitted to himself that he would not have believed anyone if they told him he would soon come to value one greater.

"Careful. He's real clingy."

Bowser blinked, and Roy chuckled. He had since put Morton down, but still held his hand as the two approached. Looking over behind them, he noticed Wendy had similarly found a spot to curl up for the time being and unceremoniously pass out. He had wanted to visit with her further, but he envied her all the same.

"Ludwig walks out for five minutes and he's already lost his 'favorite' status; he'll be thrilled." Roy drawled, and Morton snickered quietly behind him. Roy turned to him and shot him a mischievous grin as he nudged him with an elbow. "I'll always be your favorite, right?"

Morton fidgeted as Bowser looked on, and shrank even further behind his larger brother.

"…c'mon Roy…" he mumbled, but trailed off, leaving the thought incomplete.

Bowser couldn't hide his disbelief. "Favorite, huh? How'd that happen?" Ludwig didn't seem to possess the patience for his antics earlier… Roy violently snorted, and Bowser winced, he hadn't meant to sound so harsh. Might as well have opened Pandora's box. However, Roy sobered quicker than he expected, and gave an indifferent shrug.

"Well, Ludwig's the one who found him, makes sense that he'd latch on to the first person he came across…no matter how unapproachable they turn out to be…" he muttered dispassionately. "Can't blame him for havin' terrible taste, he's only a kid."

"Where did he-"

"Can't say. Don't really care either, but surely nowhere good. He's here now, which is all that matters." Roy looked as though he knew more than he let on, but wasn't giving an inch. Bowser looked at Morton to see if he would inadvertently convey any information through his reaction, but he looked as lost as Bowser felt. He tried to take a step back, but clung to Roy expecting him to do the same, and nearly losing his balance when Roy did not budge.

Bowser looked at him ruefully, turning his attentions back to Roy. "He's a shy little fella, ain't he?" Roy grinned and tried to gently pull Morton out from behind him, with only partial success. When he refused to move any further than beside him, Roy patted him on the back as a makeshift peace offering.

"Nah, Morty's a riot, really. He just gets this way around…strangers…" Bowser and Roy locked eyes as the subtext set in, then just as quickly, the two snapped their focus back to Morton, who had his arms crossed, but nevertheless looked as though he would crawl under the bed given the opportunity.

"Morton." He stressed to Roy, firmly, yet still quietly airing his peculiar grievance.

Roy laughed, a hint of nervousness infiltrating what had already been a rather awkward exchange. "Yeah yeah yeah, Morton, got it." He turned to Bowser as though he were in on the joke, which only confused him further. "Forgot he's a man now. I guess I felt that way too when I was the ripe old age of…what are you, five?" he teased. Morton huffed, but remained silent.

Bowser chuckled, but the silence persisted. He was appreciative of the conversation, as he would take any chance he got to learn more about the children he had left behind, but as it continued, he realized that Roy had not said one word about himself, opting instead to shift the conversation to either Morton or one of the others. He initially thought nothing of it, but the nonchalance with which he seemed to gloss over certain topics was disconcerting, and ultimately made him wonder if Wendy had merely adopted her mechanical mannerisms from the one who had set the framework in place.

"You sure you're not the oldest?" Bowser joked. If this kid was his mirror, he figured he would likely respond as briefly and flippantly as possible, careful not to give out too much information that would be necessary should someone be actually interested in reaching out to him and Damn it they were so frustratingly similar-

"Why, 'cause I'm the biggest?" Roy responded accordingly, without deviation.

Bowser's heart sank. He wanted to help but didn't know how. How was he supposed to beat himself? But luckily for him, Morton decided that he too wished to contribute to the conversation.

"Used to be. He told me so himse-"

"Morton." Roy hissed, towering over Morton, who looked on the surface to have been quite sorry for speaking up at all, but Bowser noticed the sympathetic intent in his eyes.

Roy blinked and cleared his throat, adopting a more leisurely posture as he managed to just reign in his rage for the time being. He then tried to smooth over the cracks with a patronizing smile. "Sorry bout that. Morton forgot his 't' again."

"I'm not a moron…" Morton mumbled.

"Then stop acting like one. Or were you too dense to understand the first time we talked about this-"

"Roy, enough. Keep your voice down, or you'll wake Larry."

Roy quieted, but did not calm, and Bowser felt the heat radiating off of him as he fumed. Unfortunately, Bowser was never one to err on the side of caution.

"Do you always talk this way about your siblings?"

Roy leaned in dangerously close and Bowser feared that if not for Larry, he would have been subject to a third assault, however, Roy's clenched fists, tense as they were, never left his sides.

"Listen because I'm only gonna say this once. Those guys-" he jabbed a finger in the direction of the others, "-are NOT my siblings, got it? None of us are related by blood."

"I know, but I thought Ludwig said-"

"Ludwig may be the oldest," he spat, "…but that don't mean he speaks for all of us." And don't pay no mind to Morty either. He knows, he knows how much I care about him. And you can stop looking at me like I'm some heartless monster, alright? I'd fall on the sword for almost any of these guys, believe me, but all the sentimentality in the world wouldn't be enough for me to replace-Ugh, you know what? I'm just won't pretend to be something I'm not because…because…"

"That would mean they're really gone." Bowser finished softly, but firmly. Roy's glare pierced through his shades, but Bowser matched his anger with determination, and refused to back down. Perhaps this was Morton's true intent, he wondered, as he seemed to know more than he let on and yet withheld his observations until he was confident he had finally found a vessel to transmit his message who was physically strong enough to take the punishment when Roy inevitably lashed out physically.

Iggy and Lemmy's laughter rang in his ears. That's what Roy's for. Roy growled and started forward, but looked to Larry and hesitated. Bowser was stuck. He didn't want to put Larry down so that Roy could wale on him, but he didn't want Larry to be in his arms if or when Roy decided he didn't care. Thankfully, he was given a reprieve as Morton returned with Wendy, who he had presumably woken up for help. She filled the space between them, and though Bowser was worried for her, she didn't share in his anxiety. Sure enough, Roy backed off just enough to make it clear he had no intentions of harming her.

"Roy, are you nuts?"

"Stay out of it, Wendy. Take the kid and leave me alone."

"Make me." Roy shoved her hard, and she fell to the ground. Bowser stood to assist her, but her controlled expression dared him to intervene. She turned to Roy, who had since approached her, with one arm in position to strike. If she felt intimidated, she made no indication.

"Hit me." She challenged him, and he faltered. In his moment of hesitation, Wendy acted quickly, snatching the shades clean off of his face and bounding a safe distance away with a swiftness only Lemmy could rival. Roy cried out in rage, but confusingly did not give chase, instead immediately covering his eyes with one arm while blindly swinging with the other. Finally, he gave up, and crumpled into himself as he plopped onto the floor, wiping away the tears of anger that had been previously hidden by plastic. Why wasn't he moving?

Handing off the glasses to Morton, Wendy moved to sit in front of him, and Bowser followed. Roy shifted in acknowledgement, but he continued to cover his face tightly with his arms.

"…why-?" he moaned, presumably to Wendy, who sighed in response. Her face contorted with guilt, revealing much about her own state beneath the forced equanimity, but it was gone as soon as she realized Bowser had taken notice.

"I…I didn't know what else to do. But you promised, Roy…"

"That ribbon of yours on too tight? I never promised nothin-"

"Don't play dumb or it's going around your neck."

"You think you're so tough just 'cause I can't see. Once I get my glasses back, I'd like to see you try it."

"…Wait, he can't see?" Bowser interjected. Roy stiffened, then growled in frustration.

"Wen-augh! No, you know what? Anyone else? Anyone else want to pick me apart? I'm an easy target now, so everyone come quick and get your licks in!"

"Roy, please, I meant nothing by it, I was only wondering-"

"Yeah? Well in my opinion, you wonder a little too much. You couldn't just leave good enough alone."

"Roy…you know neither of us can afford to anymore. And you have to believe me when I tell you that I get it, I do. You don't have to talk about it right now if you don't want to but trust me, the longer you push it away, the worse it gets. It eats away at you until you're absolutely empty. But you have to learn that what hollows you out also makes room for a little fire, and that's what keeps you going when you have nothing left to give."

Receiving several stares of ranged bewilderment, Bowser wondered if what he had said was even coherent, considering how tired he was, but when Roy sighed in resignation, he realized at the very least he had dampened his anger for the time being.

"Catch is, you gotta control it." He reached out with an arm and grabbed his shoulder. Roy tensed as he panicked, and Bowser withdrew sheepishly, as he had forgotten that Roy was unable to know or see who was touching him. "But you're not alone, okay kid? Remember that every time you drag yourself back to that black hole. You'd be surprised what can fill that empty void."

Roy rubbed his eyes, and only grunted in response as Wendy rammed into him, throwing her arms around his middle, taking care to avoid knocking his arms away from his eyes. After his initial alarm, he recognized her and slumped over in irritation, though it was clear his rage had been quelled.

"Sorry I took your glasses. But you need to stop scaring the crap out of me, you big dumb idiot. We're in this together, okay? You promised…"

"…Give 'em back, you brat. My eyes hurt…a little…" He mumbled.

Wendy turned to Bowser before he could ask. "Not blind, he's just sensitive to the light is all." She beckoned to Morton, who complied, gingerly placing the glasses within her outstretched hand. Bowser looked them over closely, and found nothing more than a cheap pair of sunglasses so faded and worn they looked as though they had been fished out of the ocean.

"Do these even work? I mean, they don't exactly look-"

"It's the best I could do," Wendy cut him off coolly, "Whatever he was using before he didn't have on him when I found him." She snickered to herself, "Had a great seeing-eye Morton though."

"Are you two finished making fun of me?" Roy snapped.

Wendy rolled her eyes and handed him his glasses. "What can I say? Your sense of humor must have rubbed off on me," She teased, then wrapped her arms around him once again. Roy slightly flushed at that, then quickly huffed and readjusted his glasses.

"Don't even try it. Just because my eyes are sensitive doesn't mean I am, and if you think that I'm goin' soft all of a sudden, then your ribbon really is on too tight." Wendy only laughed at his weak threat.

"That's because you tied it this morning, fool."

Bowser smiled. He'll figure it out someday. Hopefully it won't take him nearly as long as it took me.

Before Roy could sputter out an excuse, the door opened again, revealing Kamek and Ludwig, the latter of whom had been healed at long last. He looked around at the apparent emptiness of the room before recognizing the congregation right next to the door.

"Roy! Are you alright?" He moved to where Roy had pushed himself up. Roy's mouth twisted upward the slightest amount.

"Mind your own business."

Ludwig scoffed, but gazed at him thoughtfully. Kamek placed a hand on his arm and gestured to Iggy and Lemmy, who had since made their way over to the rest of the group. Bowser and the others looked on nervously as Ludwig and Iggy were finally forced to face one another by Kamek, who took Bowser Junior from Iggy's arms and gave them both a stern look. Iggy crossed his now free arms, and Ludwig did the same, settling in for a stalemate.

"Are you telling me that you are both prepared to stand here the entire night?" Kamek threatened, and Wendy moaned.

"Will y'all wrap this up already? I'm tired."

"Iggy…?" Lemmy tried his hand as well, but Iggy refused to make eye contact with anyone. Oh for crying out loud-

"Ludwig." Bowser stated, indirectly ordering him to initiate so he could get this over and done with so that he could sleep at last. He whirled around and attempted to argue, but Bowser didn't even have to open his mouth to win, instead letting his irate and exhausted expression do the talking for him. Ludwig sighed, then straightened.

"…Very well. I suppose I shall have to be the bigger person here-"

"Is that so? You look pretty short to me, what with your head so far up your-"

"Ignatius! Give him your respect, at the very least!"

"And Ludwig, ease up on the sass. I know you two are desperate to have the last word, but don't bother. It is, and will always be mine, and right now, I say that you both are the absolute worst. Get this done now or so help me, I'll come over there and knock your heads together myself."

Begrudgingly, Ludwig continued. "I…apologize for my behavior, I should have known better than to retaliate so violently. I don't…know what came over me."

"Damn liar," Iggy held up his hands to signify he wasn't finished. "…felt good to finally get back at me, huh?" He chuckled humorlessly and Ludwig reciprocated.

"I'll admit, there are worse feelings…regret in particular comes to mind…But I'm glad you're alright Iggy, please believe that I was quite worried."

"Well, because you asked so nicely…" His words were cut down by a glare from Kamek. "Fine, I'm sorry too, alright? I shouldn't have been looking for trouble to satiate my boredom."

"Boredom? That cannot be right. Or has it never occurred to you to perhaps, oh, I don't know, pursue a different, less violent pastime?"

"Oh, like what? Playing the piano? Well I apologize, but I never could quite manage to get my grubby hands on one. In any case, it's for the best. A lowly and violent brute such as myself has no need for sophistication, after all, I did wake up this morning thinking to myself 'Boy, I'd sure love to smash in some skulls today for absolutely no reason'."

"Then what is the reason, Iggy? I don't understand what compels you."

"You wouldn't. I don't blame you," He sighed in resignation, adding under his breath, "I don't entirely myself."

"Iggy…I want to understand."

"…I don't care what you want. You got your apology, you're not squeezing any more out of me than that."

"…Very well then. But this conversation is not over."

Iggy scoffed, then turned to Kamek, slinging a sarcastic "How'd I do?" his way. Kamek, exhausted himself, rolled his eyes and responded with a half-hearted "We'll work on it." Ludwig seemed to be deep in thought before a yawn overtook him. Bowser was content to have made it through the evening in one piece, and too tired to do much else, dragged himself over to the center of the room and ungracefully plopped down, Larry still in his arms. He stirred at the movement but was shortly after still. The others took after him, following him and, unsure of what else to do, sat with him.

They all spoke idly for a bit, with Bowser promising to look into the possibility of giving them separate rooms if for no other reason than to potentially quell any further nights like these in which they were compelled to annoy each other until the point of no return. Sure, he might need to rearrange a few things, but the silence was worth it. He looked upon the children, the older of which were silently rejoicing in relief. They smiled as brightly as they could manage, and Bowser corrected himself. The peace was worth it. No longer would he be content to have them destroy themselves quietly so that he could selfishly pretend that things were better than they actually were.

He winced in disgust. His father would have been. He had tried so desperately to wholly distance himself from him, and yet…in retrospect, he had become the very thing he had declared so boldly he would never be as he dealt the definitive blow…but that hadn't been the end, had it?

Kamek, though exhausted, was far more perceptive than the now drowsy children, and sat down next to him on the floor. He griped a bit about his posture before removing an arm from around Junior so that he could place it as high up on Bowser's arm as he could reach. And for a moment, everything else disappeared.

"All will be well again, I promise you." He had said, holding him tightly as Bowser collapsed, a weeping mess on the floor. Bowser looked upon the aftermath of his own actions from a distance in repulsion, since frantically removing himself as far away from what remained of his father as possible.

"What have I done? Kamek…" He hadn't finished the sentence, choking on his own words as another wave of panicked horror overtook him.

"The only thing you could have done." Bowser let out a cry of anguish and sank even further into his own misery. Kamek hushed him and clasped Bowser's hands in his own. "My son, you must rise." He began gently, but Bowser paid him no mind. "I know what I ask of you is great, but know that I see such greatness in you that your father could never hope to match. You are the king now. Use what you have learned today to set a course for the future. With you at the helm, there is hope once more."

Bowser's breathing had evened out, and he rubbed his eyes. He sighed heavily. "I'm not ready, Kamek. I'm not-"

"No one ever is. Life never follows the patterns you expect it to. But it will be alright, we will manage together, as we always have."

"…Together?"

Kamek laughed and smiled fondly. "Of course. In any case, I've got nothing better to do." Bowser scoffed, but laughed all the same, wiping away what remained of his tears. Kamek's eyes lit up in triumph, as they had without fail each time he was successful in generating amusement from him.

"Now let us go. They are waiting for you."

Larry shifted in his arms and the memory faded away. Bowser patted the top of his head a few times and glanced affectionately at the pile of sleeping children before him. Thank you for being patient with me. He looked to Kamek, who eyed him knowingly. Junior, he noticed, had finally fallen asleep as well, presumably because all of his would-be entertainers collapsed themselves not too long ago. Bowser reached out for him with his other arm, and Kamek raised an eyebrow.

"Are we switching children, or-?" he whispered, and Bowser snorted.

"No, I'd just like to hold my son, if it isn't too much to ask." Kamek hesitated, and Bowser sighed. "I'm going to get good at this, hear me?" Kamek rolled his eyes, but nevertheless deposited the child in his free arm.

"Do you still require my assistance?" Kamek stood, and brushed himself off, as though he were preparing to leave.

"No. I've got this." He smiled semi-confidently, and Kamek, of course, saw right through him. However, with one look at the comatose children, he let it go, probably deciding that nothing else could possibly happen so long as Bowser kept his voice down. He gave a curt bow, then moved to leave.

"Wait." Bowser hissed, and Kamek turned back to him in confusion.

"Something wrong?"

"Stay. You belong here too." Kamek's jaw hung open slightly, and it amused Bowser to no end that he seemed to finally be at a loss for words.

"What, did you think I only kept you around so you could do the dishes?" Kamek smiled warmly, and softly chuckled.

"Why, I do believe that is the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Hey, come on, I promise I've changed. You never give me enough credit for that." He protested, and Kamek held up his hands to placate him.

"You have, I know you have. You've come a long way this evening alone." Bowser grinned tiredly, exhaustion setting in as the tranquility of the room allowed him to relax at last.

He mulled over Kamek's words as he reflected on the night. All things considered, he hadn't done too terribly for his first time, and at this point, 'good enough' might as well have been the pinnacle of his achievements. Though, when it came down to it, he figured much of the unfamiliar stemmed from his own indecision. He had failed to come to much of a conclusion about anything, much less about what to do with these children he had grown so fond of. He sighed deeply, and as he settled into the stillness, he wondered if it was selfish of him to wish this moment could last forever. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this content just to even be breathing, and as he looked upon the children fondly, he dimly realized that he hadn't really understood what Ludwig had been trying to tell him until now. That they had done the impossible, they all made something out of absolutely nothing by sheer conviction alone, and there was something truly promising in that sentiment. Bowser himself had made countless promises tonight to everyone, and though he was on the verge of a coma as well, he had every intention of fulfilling them. Then, he could only think of one way he would be able to be held accountable for upholding them, no matter what. And he had made up his mind, truly, at long last.

Junior unconsciously stretched himself out, inadvertently kicking the other occupant in Bowser's arms, and Larry jolted awake, confused at the presence of the stranger. Bowser couldn't help himself, and snickered as Larry scowled in irritation. He shifted himself and attempted to retaliate, but Bowser only held him tighter until he gave up, huffing in defeat.

"Hey," Bowser lightly scolded. Even the toddler's trying to brawl. The pang of sorrow he felt hardened his resolve. He leaned in closely, and his expression softened with affection as he looked upon Junior. Larry followed his gaze, but did not share his fondness, instead perplexed by this new face.

"Go easy on your brother, okay? It was only an accident. He may look like me, but he ain't nearly as tough yet, trust me."

Larry, disoriented and tired, took his statement at face-value, and though he was certainly confused, he seemed like he was in no state to argue, and instead slumped back into Bowser's shoulder, passing out for good. Kamek, on the other hand, jolted straight up. His face held no discernable emotion, but he appeared rather shaken by the declaration Bowser had just made.

"Do you mean what you say?"

"Well…" He winced as Kamek looked as though he were two children away from murder. He stood up and moved dangerously close, the anger building. Bowser scrambled to explain himself. "No no no, Kamek, listen, I want this, I do, but…do they? I-I want to ease the pain, but I can't just eliminate the source, y'know? Because if I just sit here and blot it out, pretend they were always mine, well, I've just eliminated everything that came before, and I can't. I just can't, not in good conscience…"

Kamek calmed, humming thoughtfully. "…I understand. It seems as though they have taken to you rather quickly, but the reason is yet to be determined, I suppose."

Bowser sighed. "Maybe I should just pretend I never said anything. I doubt Larry'll remember tomorrow-"

"Have you forgotten your sentiment so quickly?" Kamek softened his tone and placed his hand on one of Bowser's arms. "You know better than anyone how little DNA has to do with it."

"Everyone except you." Kamek turned bright red, and his mouth slowly curved into a blissful smile. He moved to Bowser, careful not to disturb the sleeping children, and just barely managed to run a tender hand through the hair of his own.

"Yes. Except me." He chuckled, then removed himself so as not to make Bowser's balancing act more difficult than it needed to be. He returned to his side, leaning heavily on it. "What will you do, then?"

Bowser shrugged. "Well, when all else fails…" he nudged him lightly, "…go to what you know, and set a course accordingly. I'm just fine to be a father to this band of hooligans without being "Dad". I just want them to know that they aren't alone anymore."

Kamek squeezed his shoulder. "All you can do is your best. Perhaps they'll accept you, perhaps not, but regardless, I am proud of you, my son. Have patience and faith, and all will be well."

"All is well, you old bag. You just worry too much to notice."

Kamek moaned dramatically. "Oh, it was so nice while it lasted…" He yawned. "I am definitely too old to be up at this hour…" Bowser smirked.

"Sleep then."

"Perhaps I should wait, I must take the young master back to his room-"

"He's fine where he is. And you're fine where you are. Actually, if you want to take him, fine, my arms are killing me anyways, but you're staying right here. Tomorrow's going to be a hell of a day, I can feel it, but right now, just having everyone together in one place makes the place feel a little less broken down, y'know? So stay, please?"

Kamek nodded and took Bowser Junior from him, settling into a nearby chair, not before half-heartedly grumbling no doubt about his age and other things too low for Bowser to catch. But before he could comment, Kamek blindsided him.

"I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into."

"…I don't."

"…I didn't either." He smiled fondly. "I never knew what to expect. You were quite a handful."

"But we made it out okay, didn't we?"

"…I suppose we did…"

They said no more, and soon, Bowser could hear Kamek softly snoring, and he alone remained awake, albeit barely. The room was warm and serene, but Bowser, tired as he was, didn't want to let it go just yet. The days of yesterday were filled with sadness, pain, turmoil, the days of tomorrow were hopeful, yet stressful and unknown, but in this moment at present, everything was the way it was meant to be. In this moment, surrounded by children-his children, if they would have him, his mind raced with ways in which he could begin to rebuild the broken parts of the legacy left to him by his father. Maybe then they would trust him to rebuild the broken parts of theirs, too. As he drifted off at last, he smiled. It would all work out. Everything's going to be okay. And for the first time, he believed it. He couldn't say how or why, but as all of his knots blissfully untangled, he felt it in his gut. He just…knew.

Once again, I would like to say a huge thank you to all of you who have followed this from the beginning. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting this much support for a story that I thought wouldn't be more than two chapters, but you all have inspired me to keep going with it and I thank you for that. I had a lot of fun writing it in any case, but I always looked forward to reading your comments and receiving your feedback, as it never failed to put a smile on my face. Though this behemoth is ultimately finished, I hope y'all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. :)