~~
Jeshi: Okies, chapter 10 now!! ^-^ While I have the time to write it!

Larry: O_o?

Jeshi: -_-; Dude, I have a test to prepare for my learners' license! ^-^

Larry: O_O….okay…

Jeshi: O-O…..YAY!! *runs around in circles*

Larry: O_O….she doesn't own anything from Mario…

Jeshi: O-O….YAY!! *runs around in circles…STILL..*
~~

Larry woke up early the next day. Then again, he hadn't had much sleep in the first place, he was sleeping on the floor, (completely his choice) and he was sure that Laura's mother hadn't had much sleep either. She looked extremely paranoid. But why wouldn't she?

He got up and crept to the door. Laura sadly said 'goodbye' to Larry and thanked him again. He walked with his head down, staring at the ground. Laura didn't want to see him go, but she at least had her mother, and anyone else in her own family.

He was very depressed now. He wasn't going to find his home now, and now he wished that he hadn't run from Roy in the first place. He was tempted to just announce that he didn't care at all, but he knew that was a lie. He wanted it all back and he couldn't have it.

He sat down and gazed sulkily at the ground. After staring for a minute or two, he heard the voice of a man who seemed to be yelling…yelling at him. When he looked up, the only thing he saw was a broom that whacked him in the face, and sent him sprawling.

"Get out of here!! Get out of here!! We did nothing to you, leave us alone!!" the man yelled, swinging the broom madly at him. Larry lifted himself up.

"What do you mean? I did nothing to you-" WHACK! He was hit with the broom again. He tried to get up again, "HEY!! Stop it, what do you think you're-?!" and yet again, before he could finish the sentence, he was beaten with the wooden broom again. Larry was surprised that the broom didn't just crack into two over his head, the man was hitting him so hard. Larry tried as hard as he could to get up, but every time he tried to get up, he was hit again and again. He fell to the ground face first and lay there in pain. He then realised that the man was no longer yelling or pulverizing him with the broom.

"Hey, koopa, what are you up to NOW?!" came a familiar voice…a VERY familiar voice…he knew this person! But who was it?? Larry groaned and painfully helped himself up, and saw the greatest figures standing in front of him (well, at this time they WERE the greatest since they were familiar)…

Mario and Luigi!

Larry shook his head violently and sprang up right away. No, they WEREN'T standing in front of him right now, were they?! Here?! He stared wide-eyed at them, different feelings flowing inside him; happiness, excitement, hate (Hey, just because they're his saviour doesn't mean he LIKES them, right? Lol), desire, determination…so many ran through him.

"What are YOU two doing here?!" Larry suddenly spat out, still wide-eyed. Mario and Luigi stared back at him with widened eyes themselves and blinked.

"Aren't we always here?" Luigi asked, tilting his head to the side.

"We're protecting the castle and princess, that's what we're doing. So now what are YOU doing here?" Mario asked. Larry's eyes started to brighten, and smile seemed to appear on his face.

"You mean..you mean that..that this is the Mushroom Kingdom?" Larry asked anxiously. Mario and Luigi raised their eyebrows, then nodded in unison.

"I think he needs a map…" Luigi whispered really loudly and obviously to Mario. Larry leaped with excitement. He knew where he was! He knew how to get home now! He was so happy, he actually felt like hugging Mario and Luigi…though of course he wouldn't, that would just look very bad for him…and just plain odd.

"Yesssss!! Yay!!!!" He cheered and began to run down the main street that lead out of the kingdom and towards his own castle. He stopped short and turned around, and smirked at Mario and Luigi.

"I WAS a little 'lost', but I know where I'm going, and DON'T think I WON'T be back!!" He laughed and continued to run. He didn't care how much he ached, or how tired he was, he ran as fast as he could and wouldn't stop. The smile on his face broadened the more the thought about returning home finally.

At long last the sight of the huge castle came into view, making Larry run faster, if that was even possible. He desperately needed water, his feet and sides hurt, and usually about now he'd collapse from exhaustion, but he kept going. He was almost there! He was going to make it, and he couldn't wait to see his brothers and sister and his dad again.

But as soon as he got close enough, he had gotten up to the road that lead right up to the castle's doors when four piranha plants sprang out of the ground and bared their teeth at him. He smiled cheerfully at them.

"Hey, guys!!" He said happily. It was also nice to see his piranha plants too. He had planted them right outside in front of the castle a long time ago, in hopes of keeping the likes of Mario out. He reached out to pet one of them, but it snapped at him. He jumped back, a blank look creeping across his face.

"Hey, what was that?! Are you mad about something" He asked. He then shrugged and went to walk past him. This time all four lunged at him. He jumped back again, one of the plants' just missing him.

"Hey!! What's up with you guys? It's me!! Larry!! Larry Koopa, you listen to me, remember?" he gave them weird looks. They snarled at him. What was the matter with them? They always listened to him. He frowned.

"Listen, guys. I know I haven't been here for a few days to feed you or anything, but I was gone, I was…lost…and, well..I just found my way back," he smiled, "but don't you worry, when I get inside, I'll get you guys a REALLY big meal, okay?" He tried again to walk past them, but only to jump back again when they all tried to bite him.

'Uhoh..' he thought, 'they aren't going to try to eat ME are they?!' He continued to stare up at them, their teeth still baring at him. He smiled nervously at them.

"H-hey! Um…you..you can't eat me, guys..I've been gone for so long, and I haven't had much to eat myself!! I tell you what to do, it's not the other way around!!" he said shakily. When he tried to walk past again, they tried to bite him again. He tried to swat at them to keep them from attacking him, but he had gotten bit in the process. He fell back and held his hand which was now bleeding. Great, just as he was about to make it home-free, he was caught by his own piranha plants! He looked back up, and saw the one piranha plant stretch out as far as it could and lunge back at Larry. Larry, not knowing what to do stood there and waited for the plant to attack him.

But the piranha plant was suddenly knocked down to the side. When Larry looked, there was a ball beside the piranha plant rolling away. This ball had hit it? But where? When he looked, Roy had jumped on the piranha plant, while Lemmy ran (quite clumsily, but still) and collected his ball, and chucked it at the last three plants. His other brothers and sister had climbed over the temporarily stunned piranha plants and crowded around Larry. Lemmy and Roy joined them shortly after.

"Geez, Larry!!! We thought you were dead or something!!" Iggy suddenly blurted out. Larry smiled, then Wendy squeezed Larry tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"You little brat, you!! We didn't know where you were, DON'T you EVER do that AGAIN!" she screamed at him. Larry nervously laughed and hugged her back.

"We've been looking for you I don't know HOW long!! We really thought you were gone," Lemmy said.

"And what if something DID happen to you?!?!!" Wendy cried still.

"Dad hasn't said next to anything lately, to us or anyone else, he's pretty much had himself locked up in his throne room for the past few days," Ludwig said, staring at Larry sternly. Larry hung his head slightly. He didn't think that his siblings had really missed him that much, nor his dad. He looked over at Roy, who was glaring at him still, and turned away from him. Larry sighed and then looked at his other siblings and smiled, it was great to see everyone again. Suddenly, Roy shoved the lot of them in a panic.

"Hey!! Get outta the way!" he yelled. Just as he pushed them, the piranha plants ganged up and dove at the seven of them at once. Another headed back for Larry when Roy jumped at it and started clawing savagely at it.

Larry watched Roy in awe. He was mad at him, so why did he bother jumping in for him?

~"no matter what, the older sibling will ALWAYS protect the younger ones…"~

Was this what Ludwig meant? That Roy would always be there for him, though he hated his guts? He felt relieved knowing that Ludwig had yet again, been right, but now felt worried for Roy. There were four piranha plants and only one of him. The others weren't going to step in because of the fact that they'd get hurt, but he didn't want Roy to get hurt!

Curses came from Roy's mouth as he swatted again and again at the plants, who were constantly just scratching him with their teeth. He jumped on one, which then flung him backwards on the ground. They lunged down at him when Ludwig suddenly jumped in front of Roy. The piranha plants stopped and stared mindlessly at Ludwig.

Larry didn't know, but something about Ludwig then seemed to be quite different. Not because he was the one helping Roy out, but just an air about him seemed different than usual. He stood in front of Roy, as though he was protecting a child in a way, and he seemed to be in a readied position to fight if he had to. He kept his eyes focused and narrowed, and never blinked. He growled softly at the plants, and they too growled back at him. The more Larry looked at Ludwig like this, the more he thought of…

'DAD?!' Larry thought, his eyes widening. That was it, Ludwig seemed to look like their dad now, watching over them. Though he didn't look like him in physical appearances, it was just something that made him seem like a younger replica of Bowser. (Maybe the fact that Ludwig is his kid? Lol…)

When the piranha plants attacked again, Ludwig too, attacked at them. If they went anywhere near the other koopalings, Ludwig dove on them. Roy jumped back to his feet also and attacked them. It wasn't long until they all heard a fierce roar and with the simple swipe of huge claws that Bowser had appeared and completely wiped out the four plants that threatened his children. Larry then made a mental note to himself to feed any other piranha plants he ever planted again.

Bowser, in a rushed motion, hurried his seven offspring to the castle. He opened up the great dark dungeon-looking doors and held them open while one-by-one his children entered. Larry tagged along behind everyone slowly. When he got to the door, he stopped and looked up at his dad. They both stared at each other for a long time. Larry then smiled while tears formed in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around his dad and cried. It was so great to be home.

~~
Jeshi: T_T Awww!! I'm so proud of myself!! *cries*

Larry: O_O…I can't believe this..she actually cried writing this…

Jeshi: T_T I've had the ending of this story planned out the first week I started writing it!! I'm proud of myself, okay??!?!…O-o…hmm..maybe it isn't really longer than my Zelda story..but it's pretty close…right? ^-^ lol..meh, it's really no big deal, as long as I get used to writing long chapters now! ^-^

Larry: O_o? You want to write long chapters?!

Jeshi: *nods* ^-^ Yeppers.

Larry: O_O…scary…

Jeshi: *sniff sniff* Anyway, hope you peoples liked my story…^-^ Don't diss me, it's my first koopaling story…^-^ And I'm actually quite proud of myself on it…u.u sorry, it took me like…4 days to write this because I had work and I had to get ready for a learner's test at school…I'm sure I passed…I hope…lol..anyway, enough blabbing, review!! Review!!!
~~