Woven Hearts Missing

By Teela Yoshi

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whatever is in italics are things that have happened. I'm just too lazy to scrawl flashback about fifty times, thanks. Anything not italicized is the present, which is about two years from the things in italics, unless said things state otherwise. If anything in the "Present Times" is italicized, it is either to emphasize or to set off the fact such phrases are lyrics from songs. Thanks, ~ Teela
 

"I never believed in Love at First Sight- I do believe in Feeling as though you've known someone all your life. Even if it is a fictional charactor." ~ Teela ^_^)
 

The shrill singing was high pitched and not very melodic at all, running throughout the summery-breathing Mushroom home, simply carrying on even worse, practically yelling if one were to listen, within the winds.

"And each night I ask the stars up abbbooovveee! Why must I beeee a teenagggeeerrr in lllooovve? Well if you wanna make me cry, that wouldn't be so hard to do! I cried a tear, nobody but you!!!" It was a female voice in contrast with the song, her long and glimmering, simply styled brown hair flailing as she walked around with a pen in her hands as though it were a mic. Her purple shell sparkled gallantly as she then rolled her eyes.

Next to her stood an older male Koopa who had pink shades, a pink head even, and an almost horribly bulky body to match. His muscles were huge- though as he took off his shades, his eyes were gentle. His smile was benevolent, his eyes shining as he looked upon the younger female. He swept his brown-almost black spiked hair out of his face and began to sing along as she shoved him playfully- he didn't shove back, but rather laughed and hugged her.

"Hey Cass, take it easy girl!" He gave a great roar of laughter- it was almost bellowing out even the song, which was making the stereo jump up and down.

The music continued to play as he then pushed her down on the floor, tickling her shoulders menacingly. She struggled, giggling, and he tickled her until she felt as though her sides were gonna burst. Another song came on rather frantically- the CD was obviously a bootleg- and was spewing out "Dream, Dream, Dream." They were the "oldies, but goodies, for sure". The girl rolled her Koopa-dark-purple eyes, which were sort of glaring but filled with humor.

"I can make you mine, taste your lips of whine, annnyyyttiimme NIGHT OR DAY, ONlyy trrouubble isss, gee whiizzz, I'm dreamin’ my liiffeee away!" He was completely off key, but it sounded rather nice. He looked roughly about sixteen, maybe seventeen. The girl was about fourteen- they were both laughing and having the best of times. No one expected, but isn't that usually the story, that something sheerly horrible would happen to this quaint picture.

*   *   *

The boombox was spewing out hard rock 'n roll, a guitar fading in and out unmethodically. Next to it stood a bulkish Koopa who was shaking his head furiously. His shades were about to fall off his head as though to try and escape all the "music".

"IRRONN, YEAH IROONN...." he yelled, his tone sounding more or less like nails on a chalkboard. Either that or a cat having its tail dissected with psychical force.

"ROY! TURN IT DOWN!" Wendy squealed, putting lipstick upon her swelled-looking lips. They were now a frozen-cold sort of red that would probably shine even if there weren't any light at all. Roy simply looked up to her, his eyes sort of gray as he stared even more harshly. She then rolled her eyes, turned, and walked furiously away. The Koopa boy merely sighed, turning his "tunes" off as he leaned against his wall.

It was a hot summer day- one of the days the sun was actually shining to its full extent. The breeze was blowing in softly, easing Roy's mood as he just looked up, sighing once more. He didn't usually care much for the weather, but today it seemed vital to him. For a brief moment, or maybe it was a trick of light, he seemed to smile without his eyes cold and hard...

Roy walked to his door, shut it, but then opened it for no reason. Now he was feeling a bit random- but not necessarily violent.

"Dis would be a bit funner if only der was someone to shut der door on..."Roy stated matter-of-factly as he then sighed. This was boredom, yet not just a sheer boredom for sure. This was a state of absolutely nothing to do, when even those things you'd normally find interesting or fun don't appeal to you as much. Maybe it was hormones- Roy was now sixteen going on seventeen. Surely he'd been going through a lot of changes over the past few years- maybe this was rising. Maybe he would just suddenly wake up feeling different tomorrow, wake up as... someone else even!

Small, girly giggling noises kicked up annoyingly loud from outside Kastle Koopa. He then walked to his window, surprised he'd care, and looked to down to find Ludwig's girl and her Yoshi-butt friend.

"Ugh... Dat thing... still here?" Roy rolled his eyes- that Yoshi hybrid had friends..." Meh, I oudda go get my friends."

He then thought clumsily, stumbling upon something in his head. He didn't really have any of his friends at the moment- it was summer and they were all elsewhere in the world.

"ROY!" Another high-pitched scream was thrown at him as he swerved around recklessly in surprise. He half-expected himself to fall out the window, but caught himself and looked, his eyes wide. He slipped his shades back on his face cautiously, looking through them now at a darker Wendy whose lipstick still shone out just as much. "Mom said..."

He was hardly listening, rather just zoning out. This just wasn't his day- the summer had made him a drowsy, drunk-seeming Koopa whowas bored out of his very mind.

"ARE YOU LISTENING?" Did she ever shut up? he wondered curiously, now being back from his short loss of reality. "Mom said to take this list, go to CapeKoopster, and pick these things up! OR ELSE."

"Ohh, I'm so afwaid, righ? Well den, maybe you sha go." His New York Smart Alec accent was unbearably heavy;Wendy rolled her eyes evilly.

"You're just like Ludwig."

"Yoshi-lover? Naw, nodin’ like 'im, sweetheart. I'm pwetty," he said, laughing as he took the list from her. He threw a smile at her as she flashed it back, though wondering why- he hardly smiled a "sincere" smile. This was a sincere, real, meaningful even kind of smile she had always thought Roy never had.

"You seem happy." She now was calm and not so pushy; manageable, as Roy called it. "What's up?"

"Nodin, sweetheart, Kootie Pie." And he had a nice tone in his voice- she then wondered what was up with him.

"Must just be the weather...?" she more or less questioned as Roy smiled again, looking over the list.

"What is dis stuff?"

"Spices, a few lipstick types-"

"Lawpsticks? Don't yous gots enough of 'em?"

"Can you ever speak normally?"

"Yawp. When it's convenient." He giggled, though Wendy really didn't see why. He then just shrugged, walking by her and into the corridor, humming to "Grandma's House we Go" although he muttered "To CapeKoopster we go."

He was on the second floor, looking around. The summer decorations were up- simple red garments draped from the ceiling, the even more maroon ones acclaimed for the curtaining. The gargantuous statues that normally badgered the hallways were all put away- there were only the picture frames of black roses here and there. There was also the occasional picture of a spear and a Koopa shell- the summer "symbol"- that lay only in hallways housing no other portraits. It was a simple layout, yet now that Roy thought about it, he had never seen anyone take the statues and portraits away. He had never heard anyone take all the objects to any storage, never saw any living soul putting things up on the curtains. He stopped in his tracks, looking over some of the portraits. They were all bordered in the same strange-symboled, ancient Koopan for sure, language that sparkled in silver and gold. There were no dirt smudges on them, and he had never seen anything pulled out, as he thought once more, of any storage. The basement never housed such things either.

"Dat be odd..." he stated bluntly, looking down the corridor. For the first time he noticed how quiet the castle really was; there were no scurrying footsteps, no strange ticking noises. It was just dead quiet, as though it were holding some strange force or secret. Roy then realized he was breathing rather suddenly- he hadn't been breathing for a moment there at all- as he began to walk away, speeding up.

He climbed down the stairs, noticing the railing was a swampish green rather than its regular brown. For the first time in his life, Roy seemed to be noticing every little detail of things; he was really taking time to be looking at the sort of things normal people wouldn't notice. He didn't say much, merely just walked slowly, grunting in approval or impressiveness at times. He then stopped by the main entrance door, looking at a vase.

It was a black vase, clashing he thought with everything else in the house but the pictures of the black roses. It was rather pretty, but it gave off an odd feel. He felt creeped out by his own home now, though he couldn't necessarily explain it in a sane way. It was just a feeling, he murmured as he then picked up the vase, looking under it. There was no company label, and for a moment he wondered if it had been hand made.

"Naw, it'd still have a name or somtin’..." He then set it back down gingerly (everything he was doing today seemed to be clashing with his very personality) and walked on out the front door, looking over the list once more. Roy then reached over his neck, digging into his own shell in which he kept an extra pair of shades and his Goomba leather wallets. He looked in his wallet- more than enough money. He shrugged; maybe he could just hang out for awhile.

The list, he glanced to it once more, indeed contained spices and lispticks but also many other assortments of things. Some of them were simplified names of the pipes Ludwig used, some of them strange hair fashion designs for ribbons that Karma used, and for some reason there was a backpack on the list. Roy wondered why he had to do it- why couldn't they send a Paratroopa or something? Yet, Roy contradicted himself, it was summer, and he could use a little walk. It might be fun, no harm at least. And it wasn't like he had anything better to do...

*   *   *

The night moon bled throughout the lonely Mushroom song, the CD player tilting out a soft melody, the tune rising and falling as a voice defied the singer's with her own tone.

"And it seems like all this dying would leave the to mourne... In the distance, hear the laughter of the laaasstt unicorn!" a small face sang as the music rustled out quietly still. Her face was scanning worrisomely as her eyes seemed bright and full of hope. Her ags seemed not to matter, as she was younger than ever, and her eyes twinkled merrily.

A pita-patter of the rain seemed to make the music even more methodical, though her voice definitely painted it to stand out. The way she was singing brought the lower tones to higher ones, and because she was singing so gently, it didn't sound so rasp and tearing at the ears. It was beautiful even, almost to an angel it sounded.

"When the last moon is cast, over the last star of morning, and the fuuutture has past without even a last desperate warning, then look into the sky where through the clouds, a path is born. Look and see her, how she sparkles, the last unicorn..."

The tune was echoing, or so it seemed, with its low, tender notes and soft male singer making the words seem more than they were. The song itself was beautiful, although the young girl's voice didn't improve it, nor did it bring it down. It was different- in almost an entirely different, better, way.

The next song came on, brushing out a soft beginning. The girl sighed, almost not at all. Her drowned-looking eyes gave a swift look to the clock, her face now assuming the same drowned-looking expression, matching her two innocent brown eyes.

"In a perfect world.... one we've never known... we would never need to face the world alone. They can have the world... We'll create our own! I may not be brave, or strong, or smart... But somewhere on my secret heart... I know... Love will find a way! Anywhere I go, I'm home! If you are there beside me! Like dark, turning into day! Somehow we'll come through... now that I've found you... Love will find a way!"

The song was a duet, obviously. A soft male voice gingerly sang the lyrics of the bitter-sweet love song as the girl then threw herself onto the couch, giving another mournful sigh to the world outside the window. Tears streamed down her face, although softly, she sang the last lyric of the song...

“I know... love will find a way...." And the melody faded out...

_

The warp pipes were terribly squeaky the closer Roy came closer to CapeKoopster. This, he figured, was because so many sweaty people traveled in them. He was sure if he stopped, the place would absolutely ravage him in its scent. He pushed himself forward, his feet triple their average speed. The pull of gravity, he was now noticing, was a bit different than when he was standing anywhere else.

With a sudden "plop" Roy was standing in the blaze.

Your love has set my soul on fire, burning out of control!!! YOU TAUGHT ME THE WAYS OF DESIRE! NOW IT'S TAKING IT'S TOLL...

A hard song boomed from some sort of music player somewhere off in the distance. He looked around at his surroundings- the last time he had been here was all too long ago and he definitely didn't recognize the place now.

The warp pipe rested behind him, still and slightly covered with moss near the base of where it rested in the ground. If it did smell, there was no evidence of it now. He looked ahead of him; the loading docks were huge as noise was heard everywhere. Wherever the singing was coming from, he didn't have much of a chance of locating it.

_

The beat poured out, heavy and the drum steady.

"Dig if you will the picture... You and me engaged in a kiss. The sweat of your body covers me, can you my darling, can you picture this? Dream if ya can, a courtyard, oceans and violets in bloom. Animals strike curious poses, they feel the heat between me and you! HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE ME STANDING? ALONE IN THE WORLD SO COLD?! Maybe I'm just too demanding, maybe I'm just like Father, too bold. Maybe you're just like Mother... SHE'S NEVER SATISFIED... Why do we scream at each other...? This is what is sounds like when doves cry." The steady beat of the drum crumbles in, a Koopa girl clutching a pillow close to her stomach and chest.

Her face was terribly red, her breathing heavy, though she continued to sing the melody. Finally, she stopped completely at the next line of "How could you just leave me standing?" The tears began to empty even more, the girl's head pounding, feeling as though it were going to explode.

"I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET YOU GO, RAYMUND!!!" she screamed, pounding her pillow as she then fell forward onto her bed. "BROTHER!!! I HATE YOU! YOU SHOULD BE HERE!" She then sobbed into her bed, screaming and pounding as though she were having seizures. The last line soon finished the song off- "How could you just leave me standing... Alone in the world, so cold..."

_

Roy looked to all the creatures loading the ships up, looked to their muscular bodies and then to his. He then shrugged; he didn't care at the moment who he could challenge. There was no point, and the sun was beating down on him as though to try and push him into the core of Plit. His body felt even heavier than before, instilling in him the lead, not to mention tiring, feeling that just made him want to crawl into his bed and sleep. Now he agreed with his first summery as to why the warp pipes were so wet- they were sweaty.

Roy began the task of walking, which he would later find was more tiring than ever here, and to what he would think later as the "planet sucking his energy" occurrence. He pulled his list closer to his face and began walking into the bustling town of Cape Koopster.

"I could only stay clean, when you were around... Don't let me fall…  Oh no... If I close my eyes forever... would it ease the pain... Could I breathe again? BABY I'M ADDICTED... I'M OUTTA CONTROL... BUT YOU'RE THE DRUG THAT KEEPS ME FROM DYING... MAYBE I'M A LIAR, but all I really know... is you're the only reason I'm trying..."

Roy heard the singing even more thoroughly now, though it was a different song for sure; he began to hum along.

"I'm not afraid offf dyying.... But I am affraid of LLoOOSSSING YOU!" He belted the last part, a few people staring at him. Though, he took note, they weren't staring at him strangely- they were smiling in a rather knowing way.

"Oy, you 'mus hear 'er," one of the sailors, who was holding a burlap bag full of something or another, said to him rather kindly as Roy just seemed slightly puzzled. The sailor's dazed look was surprising- the man was humming along with the song. Roy then turned and walked away, the sailor not paying him much more mind. No one seemed to recognize him- now whether or not that was good was a question Roy wouldn't even begin to debate. Though he figured maybe not.

In the distance a railroad sounded, an odd sound in a place like this, Roy looking around suddenly for no reason. His blood began pulsing madly, his heart pounding heavily; he was lost of breath for a rather brief moment. He then wondered why- it was a rather strange, enticing feeling that was now causing him to speed up. His walking had previously been a slow trot, though now he was going at a run.

"Dis is weird. I's not runnin’ no mores," he said, stopping, looking back to the sun. "I must be hearing that-" He stopped suddenly, realizing what exactly had him going for a moment there. There was a wild beat- catchy even- forming from some type of drums. It was coming at him from everywhere now, the sweat pouring from him. Roy's head began swimming madly- he toppled back towards the first brick walls of the town. He slid down the wall, his shell spikes scraping loosely, the beat pounding in his head. It was a song that Roy recognized now as it grew louder; a song he hated horribly. This song drove him mad at times- a song Larry loved being as it was so annoying. The Hamster Dance..." AHH...!" Roy raged suddenly, pushing his shades on his face, as they had fallen slightly out of place.

He pushed himself away from the wall and placed his hands on the sides of his head. That was the ONLY song he could never bear listen to. He hated a lot of songs that weren't heavy rock- but this song was the only song he couldn't even bear to hear one word of. It drove him berserk...

"Ah, sorry folks. My DJ is a bit of a newbie, but he's cool. Right, man?" He heard it loudly now- the voice who was singing. Thank DAD the music stopped, was all Roy could think. He now was a bit curious though; there was a band here. He figured they couldn't be that good, though they had a DJ.

"DJ's aw fow parties," Roy declared, thinking. That was the girl singing; was her voice mixed? "No ways... Their tech can't be dat fast... She was singin’..." He then walked on, hearing more talking from her. Her voice was harsh, though mellow, yet gentle in a rough way. It was assertive, he figured, and she was probably a tough babe.

There was a loud "Sccreeesshh". A microphone had been dropped. Roy didn't speed up- he just strolled along now, looking around, but most of his attention was focused purely upon what he was hearing. He listened intently now, hearing the microphone be picked up and clasped. Another moment later, a different song began. Roy then figured out what the voice had meant by DJ- she was just the singer. There was not a band, but just her and the
DJ. She was singing; they were remixes of songs, the kind without words.

The song started out soft- though it quickly picked up softly to a bit more.

"Yeeeaahhh!" The tune carried on even more. "You make such a good friend- I've known you since I don't know when. We got lots of friends, but they come and g!! EVEN THOUGH WE'VE NEVER SAID IT! THERE'S SOMETHING THE TWO OF US... FORGOT! TOGETHER FOREVER NO MATTER HOW LONG! FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF TIME!"

Roy heard other voices joining, he apprehensively wondering what the song was to begin with. He'd never heard it- though he hardly listened to anything like this anyway…

"TOGETHER AND FOREVER MORE! ... ALWAYS GONE THAT EXTRA MILE! DEPENDED ON YOU ALL THE WHILE! Even in the good and bad times, you will see... From now until our journey’s end! YOU KNOW YOU CAN ALWAYS COUUNTT ON ME!" The main chorus kicked in once more, Roy finding himself irresistibly singing along. Despite the fact there were other voices singing, he could hear the female voice clearly. It wasn't as rough- it was beautiful, not harsh anymore. She was obviously better at singing softer songs.

Roy then realized he had dropped the list that was his sole reason for being here in the first place. He glanced down to the ground to find his foot was resting on it easily; he snatched it up and shoved it behind his neck down within the quarries of his shell. It then pushed it down further; it made him itchy. With a sudden glance around, he began to walk towards the sound of the music.

_

The music had been a sad and melodic tune, the sun shining in restlessly through the window. The Koopa girl's brown hair rested against her face, which was sticky with tears. She was hot and sweaty looking, the tears flowing from her endlessly.

"Lyin' the dark; I know you're awake... The only sounds are the sssooounnds this old house makes... Oh how long? I long to hear your voice... Desperate to talk, yearning to touch, yearning inside, 'CAUSE I WANT YOU SOO MUCH! So I say I need you...aAnd leave you no choice... You liiiiieeeee!!! You don't wanna hurt me... so you liiiieeee!!! A lot going on, what else can I do? Maybe it's wrong!!! BUT YOU KNOW WHOW MUCH I LOVE YOU SO YOU LIIIIEEEE!!! 'TIL YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO SAY GOOODBYEEE... You lieee..." The frustration poured out of her, as did her tears, into her pillow. The throbbing within her entire body was instilled by her sorrow...

"How long until...? You just can't go on! The urge to break loossee.... IS JUUSTTT TOO STRONNGGG! YOU SHOULDA LETT GOOO! THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA DO! OH, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DOOO!!! SO YOU LIIEEE!!!" The song was alone in singing now, the only noise aside from the crying and the slashes against the pillow from sharp punches.

_

The song contained a guitar, Roy took note immediately, and it was the only instrument currently. He also took note it sounded closer; they were a few blocks over, for sure. He quickened his pace, despite the heat that now it was beginning to make his shell seem like bricks, and let his curiosity lead him.

"A hundred days have made me ooldder, since the last time that I saw your pretty face! A thousand laughs have made colder, and I don't think I can look at this the saameee! And all the miles that separate... It's just so clear now, when I'm dreaming of your face! I'm here without you baby.... but you're still on my lonely mind… I think about you baby, and I dream about you all the tiiimmee! I'm here without you baby... BUT YOU'RE STILL WITH ME IN MY DREAMS! AND TONIGHT, IT'S ONLY YOU AND MEEE!!!" The song was originally in a male's voice, so it was supposed to be low toned. But the girl was soprano 2, Roy assumed, yet it still sounded very nice. He liked it, truthfully, despite the fact it wasn't his hardcore drum-crazy "music".

"Mebbe I don’ listen ta enough otha music..." he thought to himself, looking around again.

The streets were littered with newspapers; this was obviously the lesser part of town, though he was sure in a few blocks it would be much better hygienically. He noticed a can of Chocola-Cola and kicked it; it went flying farther than he expected and into the next bricked street over. Roy sighed, taking another glance around and persisting on.

"The miles just keep rolling as the people leave a way to say hello.... I've heard this life is overrated-" Roy stopped listening for a moment, agreeing with that statement completely. "But I hope that it gets better as we go."

"Yeah, if yas don’ die fiwst," Roy corrected, pushing his shades up tighter on his face (this was something he normally did when he knew he was positive about something he said) making his skin bunch up abnormally.

"AAww yah! I'm here without you baby, BUT YOU'RE STILL ON MY LONELY MIND! I think about you baby, AND I DREAM ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME! I'm here without you baby, but you're still with me in my dreams! And tonight... It's ONLY you and meeeee!!! Everything I know, and anywhere I GOOOO!!! IT GETS HARD, BUT IT WON'T TAKE AWWAAYY MY LOOOVVEE! When the last one falls... When it's all SAID AND DONE... IT GET'S HARD... BUT IT... WON'T TAKE AWAY MY LOOVVEE!!! AAAWWWOOAAAH…" The melody faded out some, though kicked up again, the girl joined by a male voice that was scratchy (not to mention more fit for the song) and hard to hear as they sang the last part of the song. Roy then concluded he, like the female singer, was much better as he turned the street corner, emerging upon "Click Tock Rock Ave" and seeing the crowd up ahead.

There was indeed a stage (and it really was a stage) with a disc jockey up in the area, flipping through disks anxiously. There indeed was a female, her long, brown hair lying neatly over her purple shell. Roy could barely see her figure, though he could definitely tell it was a Koopa. He could see the honey-blonde, more-brown hair, her light-maroon, more purple shell, a simple red if dulled, and he took note of the microphone. She was the singer, and there was one guitar Birdo strumming the last melody of the previous song.

"ALL RIGHTY!" the Koopa girl yelled enthusiastically, Roy wandering toward the crowd, checking out the stage. It was a full-fledged stage, though it was outside. There weren't camera-Lakitus, or any light directors, but it was a stage. It was made of wood, he could tell, shoving a few people out of the way. Roy thought it was odd, though rather interesting more than anything else. "WE'RE GONNA DO OUR LAST SONG FOR THE DAY OF THIS WEEK!"

Roy thought that was oddly stated, though it was more or less in his subconscious. He really could care less about how people talked.

“IT'LL BE HEAVEN IS A PLACE OF PLIT!" Her smile beamed through to Roy even though he was behind tons of people. He looked up, seeing the lights were coming on; they were spotlights, a little ridiculous to Roy though, being as it was already hot outside with too much light. The DJ put on the CD, the girl immediately slipping on some sunglasses, her shell glistening. As the beat swirled up, she began to dance, Roy watching critically.

"OOH BABY DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S WORTH?! OOH HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON PLIT! THEY SAY IN HEAVEN, LOVE COOOMMESS FIRST! WE'LL MAKE HEAVEN A PLACE ON PLIITTT!!!" Roy then watched her intently, forgetting her voice. She pranced upon the stage so rhythmically. She was alive, she was life right then. She was definitely the star of this show- Roy wondered if people came for the songs, or her movements.

She wasn't the prettiest Koopa Roy had ever seen, but from the moment she had begun to dance, he couldn't think that anymore. Her movements were graceful- he was addicted to them, now. He watched her spin, watched her not only spin, but twirl!

"WHEEN I FEEL ALONE, I REACH FOR YOU AND YOU BRING ME HOME!!! WHEN I'M LOST AT SEA, I HEAR YOUR VOICE AND IT CARRIES ME!! In this world, we're just beginning! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE MIRACLE OF LIVING? BABY, I WAS AFRAID BEFORE; I'M NOT AFRAID ANYMORE!!!"Roy figured he had the most awestruck look on his face. He ignored that; it wasn’t like anyone in his family was around. He didn't have to act now... He didn't have to keep his guard up if he liked something. He himself began to dance, as the crowd was, though found he was nowhere near able to copy her moves. They were genuine, something Original, something no one taught her. It was talent,Roy realized... She had the most excellent flare of talent he'd ever seen.

The song continued the last measures- great for a closing song with its beat and all- to the last beat and the Koopa girl's smile was beaming even brighter than before. As the music faded out completely, Roy watched the way the spotlights twirled around her, her shades staying on her face, unlike his. He wondered how she did that, but soon forgot it as he waited for what came next. Credits, he assumed.

"Well, peoples! Thanks for coming to the weekly Cassie's Mix!!! Tell all your relatives! Tell your friends! Right here in your own CapeKoopster! I'll be back here next week with different songs! Thanks for coming!" People began clearing out, chattering enthusiastically amongst themselves, Roy being shoved around a little bit.

Normally, under other circumstances, he would have shoved these people for shoving him, but he kept reminding himself he didn't have to. These people caused him no harm, and they were only here to enjoy the music. He didn't have to be the one to ruin it, and didn't want to.

He was humming the melody to the last tune, watching as the last remaining people went their separate ways, small kids of different species darting past his backside, he hearing their laughter as they played tag. He was noticing the conversations held; this was real. It was all real, the detail, the people enjoying themselves, and he felt as though this were all too alien to him. He had never heard two kids yell and giggle so happily; the last time he had played tag, he had been shoved in the dirt face-first... And he had been playing by himself.

_

"YOU PINK KOOPA! DORK!!! BOWSER'S RUNT!" A yellow Yoshi stood evilly over a small, two-year-old Roy. Roy was looking up to the four-year-old Yoshi. Roy was small, docile even, as he looked frightfully to the Yoshi's eyes. They held the insignificance of laughter, the Yoshi's smile wide as he enjoyed himself. Quickly, the Yoshi lunged forward, pushing Roy to the ground, his head in the sandbox.

The Yoshi hovered over him, leering as he knelt down, looking right into Roy's eyes, the mocking burrowing into Roy, tears welling into his eyes.

"You're gonna pay," the Yoshi stated as Roy looked puzzled to him. He knew he hadn't been put in a timeout for a whole year, and he wondered what he had done wrong.

"Faw wha?" Roy asked, his baby-ish accent shining through, showing he was nowhere near ready for doing anything unforgivable to anyone.

"FOR YOUR BIG MEAN DADDY HURTING ALL THE YOSHIS!" Roy's eyes then widened in even more fear as the Yoshi grasped Roy's own head. The Yoshi's paws were heated as the Yoshi began to twist Roy's head, making half his face dig into the sand. Roy began to wail, the Yoshi pushing his face even more harshly  into the gritty sand.

Roy's shell was a small, green one at the time, a little too big for him, allowing him to turn inside his shell. This also allowed him to twist inside his shell to avoid damaging his neck as theYyoshi shoved his face into the dirt. All he could keep thinking was, "What have I ever done?!"

Roy was thrashing, spitting out sand, though the Yoshi continued to shove his face in, Roy practically helpless being as he was flipped over. His shell may have been too big for him, but it also meant he had a hard time carrying it, and that disadvantaged him even more.

The Yoshi finally backed off, laughing, running off as Roy struggled to pull himself up off the ground, his face sticky and covered in sand. He tried to spin to get himself up, though that just caused him a loss of energy. He then heard a strict voice calling for him, the figure soon coming over.

The figure had a tall, blue hat, young looking skin, and spectacles glistening in the sun, hiding the figure's eyes. This was Kamek, Roy's caretaker for the moment. Beside Kamek was a younger Koopaling baby, Ludwig, holding a pen and paper, writing things down, symbols Roy didn't quite understand.

"Kam-Kam, dawt Yoshti puwsh me in daw sandbowx, made me leak fwom my seeing-tings." Roy was almost impossible to understand, Ludwig just glancing quietly up from his paper to stare at Roy. Ludwig's eyes were unreadable, fearing even, as he looked at Roy's face, though this was very quick, and then back down to his paper. He was writing some more things down as Roy began to wail even louder, Kamek rolling his eyes and sighing.

"Roy, whatever happened, deal with it, ok? Whatever you did it's ok."

“B-Bu-BUT I DIDN'T DOW ANYTHING!!!" Kamek picked him up.

"Roy, we're late," Kamek explained in a baby-ish tone. "And Daddy will put me in a very bad timeout if we are any later. Now hush, don't let your daddy see you acting like a baby. Be a big Koopa, be strong, for me if you want."

Roy's body trembled, going cold. He realized Kamek didn't understand; he may have been young, but he understood neglect. This was, however, an odd type of neglect that really wasn't anyone's fault. Kamek was just trying to do his job, Ludwig was too silent, and Roy shouldn't have had to pay for his father's actions. No one understood, Roy knew.

“No one in the entire world understand this,” Roy thought in his head. “Da whole world... I... don't like the world, 'cause the world don't like me.”

And elsewhere, from some far off place, Roy certainly not hearing, "How could you just leave me standing? Alone in the world sooo cooolldddd... Maybe I'm just like my father, too bold..."

“I'll have to do things... all for me... Me want it, me have to get it...”

And certainly everyone overlooked that. Roy refused to talk from that day forward. No one in his family, he may not have thought that immediately, but no one in his family nor the world understoood him or anything that happened to him…

_

Roy then realized the world around him wasn't like that. He noticed the kids playing tag weren't cursing each other, they weren't throwing fireballs, they weren't shoving. They were having fun and not being hurt in the process. Roy then had a sudden epiphany, his realization dawning upon him, as he merely looked up to the sky.

It was still hot, but a cool breeze had been unearthed and was now descending upon them all. Roy figured it might rain soon, as there were now less people on all the streets. He hadn't even been here for that long, maybe a half an hour at the most. Time seemed to be moving slowly on him, though he didn't really pay it much mind. He may have been loitering- but it seemed vital to him. It seemed as though he were just waiting for something, waiting for something life-altering. Though he could already tell he was stumbling on all kinds of things here- it was as if this very place was here to help him in some way, he could feel it.

He looked up to the stage to find the female singer helping the birdo with his guitar, the disc jockey beginning to pull all his CD's together. Roy stood there, just looking around. He felt odd- the wind was beginning to get frightfully cold, although the sun was still frying them all.

"Yo! Sparz, hey man!" the Birdo called to the disc jockey, who turned around, nearly dropping all the CDs. The CDs piled up over the disk jockey's head, hiding his face from Roy's view. "You gonna help us here?"

The disc jockey, a Yoshi, maintained his balance, set the CDs down, and began towards the other two, who were handling the rather large guitar. Roy watched half-consciously as they struggled with it. Were they that weak? Roy wondered as he then began towards the stage, lifting himself up over it cautiously.

"Hey! You's need some help 'o somdin’?" He then noticed they all turned to look at him. Without even a reply, he grabbed the guitar from them anyway, holding it over his shoulder as they merely stared. " Well... uh... where da ya want dis?"

He noticed the girl was staring as the Birdo simply pointed down the street.

"Uh... Cassie's house, I supposes. This'd is all hers and alld..." The Yoshi spoke with the traditional accent; he had obviously been brought up on Yoshi's Island and had come here, thus learning English. Roy understood him, the accent with the traditonal 'd' finish just made him want to laugh, but he wouldn't. There was no need to be rude, he reminded himself.

"Uh... Cassie, I don't think he's from around here," the Birdo exclaimed as Roy looked to the only other figure. So her name is Cassie,Roy though for a moment. "You wanna take him to your house so he can carry that thing?"

Cassie stared at Roy, her eyes wide. Roy took note they seemed as though she were about to start crying. He held the guitar over one shoulder, looking around.

"Ok... erm, any minute now's fine." Roy didn't want to hurry her, but he was beginning to feel a bit odd as her eyes seemed to tremor. She seemed shaky, seemed suddenly hit by something, and hit by something hard. Without another moment’s notice, she turned and began off of the stage. She didn't look back, Roy following, his energy seemingly restored as the wind cooled his shell and his head. He sighed almost reluctantly, walking after Cassie. The other two figures stayed, cleaning up the CDs, trying to gather the microphones and other equipment. Roy turned to look back to them, though they didn't look to him.

People on this side of town were scarce, Roy took note. He wondered what Cassie was thinking; she was very quiet. Roy could hear the wind rustling, though he was still in a leisurely sort of mindset. Her eyes did not look back to him; he was searching for something to say, some sort of action to perhaps provoke conversation.

"So's..." Roy spoke, now quickening his pace to walk alongside her. She made no motion to even look at him. "Yo name is Cassie, huh?" The huh seemed more like a duh.

"You should know it all too well." Her tone was low, soft, and in some way, she now took on a sort of defeated apparel. "You should know." It was as though she were emphasizing it for some unknown reason.

"I... uh.... guess," he replied, now watching her. She didn't flinch under his gaze. Her brown hair was lifted and almost played with even as the wind blew in an unrhythmic hum. He readjusted his grip upon the guitar, throwing it over his shoulder. "Cassie's... pretty name..."

"You came up with it, Ray," Cassie replied, looking at him in a way Roy could not quite interpret. Roy looked at her oddly, wondering why she had just called him Ray.

"Yeah, I don't think I's told ya who I's is. It's... Roy. Roy Koopa. Pretty close though, girlie," Roy clarified, smiling his smile. His smile wasn't that attractive- if anything, it was like the snarl of a gargoyle.

"Playing that game again, are you?" she asked, giggling, a smile perking upon her as Roy's look became one of discombobulation. As he readjusted his grip for the final time, Cassie began to lead him even more quickly down the street. Roy was now practically going at a jog to keep up with her, the guitar giving him shade but making him feel even heavier than before. He wasn't getting tired; rather the sun was taking all of his energy.

"Game?" Roy asked a moment later, as though the thoughts didn't register in the first place.

"You know, that time you... you just vanished, came back three hours later, knocked on the door and handed me flowers on Valentine's Day after I forced you to get a date? You were like I'm Bob, not Ray! And I replied, Well if you're not Ray, I don't want to see you here. Good day.And then I slammed the door in your face, you waiting for a moment, expecting me to come running dramatically to you begging for forgiveness. After five minutes, you began beating on the door as Mom served your favorite... uh... beets for dinner. I hate beets, don't see how you could have liked them either." Cassie made a face that symbolized her grotesque opinion of beets. She giggled, nudging Roy in the side. He just gave her a look of confusion, still discombobulated as well.

“Look, Girlie, I don't know... uh... I don't know what you's 'talking 'bout, but I ain't no Ray. Dis Roy, the one and only, Roy Da Koopa," Roy replied, pulling his shades down a bit to make eye contact with her. He wouldn't normally ever show his eyes, but this was a move he had once seen on a movie that basically meant Hey weirdo, I'm gonna look at you with a really puzzled look and now dramatize it.Roy knew who he was, and was quite sure he was Roy.

"Ray, stop it," Cassie demanded as she began leading him across soft, browning grass to a little house with a Koopa-shaped roof. Roy's face scrunched into one of disgust; he couldn't stand these cliché-looking houses, with the dorky roofs and usually same-color-painted door. As Cassie reached a hand behind her neck, she drew the keys out from the inside of her shell, smiling at Ray. "We're home, Brother."

"Look, I'm not yer-" But beforeRoy could speak another word, Cassie grabbed his hand and began leading him into the house.

"Mom and Dad will be so happy you've finally come home to us!" Her tone was one of happiness, the exhaustion and ghastliness of her voice vanishing completely. Her eyes sparkled in delight as she turned to Roy. "You can set the guitar down, Ray, and I'll go make you a meal. You hungry? Right? I'll make anything ya like! You've been gone for three years, Brother, and I don't know what your tastes are now, but I'll have you know I've learned how to cook rather well!"

Wow, free meal... She thinks I'm this... Uh... Ray guy or whatever 'is name is! Stupid Girlie... Free meal, sure. Yay!Roy's only thoughts were.

"Well, Sis, I'm glad to be back from wherever I's was." He paused, taking note that this was exactly how he would speak to Wendy, firm and authoritative, even. "I'd like some steaks, one very rare and the other broiled to a crisp. Ya think you's can get the third into a cross between the two? I've not met a chef yet who's can makes my favorite steak... The one in between has the perfect reflection of blood, and yet is cooked enough to resemble that burnt taste. Up to da challenge?"

At first, Cassie thought for a moment, her hand finding its way to her chin, a thoughtful look being pulled together rather well. Roy took note she was rather pretty when she did that, took note that he also doubted she could pull off the steak correctly. No one ever could- that's why Roy always said that, because he liked to yell at people when they couldn't quite get it right. Let everyone know who was boss.

"You know, I could do that. Yes, I do believe it sounds quite delicious the way you describe it, and despite the fact your grammar has gotten rather horrid, Ray, I'm glad you're home."

It's ROY... Roy thought as he watched Cassie's grin spread widely cross her face, her eyes folding onto him. It was such a striking image to him- he couldn't help grinning back, Cassie pulling out a chair for him as he sat in it. It seemed as though his newfound kindness was fading, as he was back to taking advantage of people and then leaving without a trace. This meal was certainly going to be something interesting...

Read on!

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