Crash, bang, boom! Kammy Koopa sent fireballs flying across the room. She was teaching young Magikoopas a simple spell to send fireballs at enemies. The young Magikoopas drew back in fear as Kammy's fireballs revolved around the room, then they ooed and ahhed at her performance. Kammy smiled happily. She loved praise - it was like fuel for her. Kammy's smile turned slowly into a frown as she thought about the last few weeks. Bowser had kicked her out of her position of Head Magikoopa with Kamek and had replaced her with Kamella. Ahh, Kamella... How Kammy loathed her. She had just appeared one day out of the blue and had blown Bowser and Kamek away with her “powers'” Kammy had to admit that she was getting old and that Kamella was more powerful than she, but she just couldn't like the Magikoopa. After all, Kamek had been very impressed with her... Kammy sighed miserably. She had known Kamek for years - and had been head over heels in love with him since the fist day they met. And even after the long decades of working with him, Kamek had never asked her out or shown any sign of affection for her. Kammy remembered the first time Kamek had met Kamella. He had seemed almost hypnotized by her. He had even kissed her hand! To Kammy, Kamella was a nightmare.
Click, clack, clunk. Kammy heard footsteps behind her... She had heard those footsteps before. She stiffened and turned around slowly.
"Kamella," she said flatly, "what an honor," Kammy added sarcastically. Kamella was striding towards her with a smile twitching around her lips. There was something so different about Kamella than all the other Magikoopas. First of all, she wore a fitting dark plum-colored robe with red edging and she even had lace showing at the bottom of it. Second, she had painted her unreasonably long fingernails a sky blue. And today, she happened to be wearing black lipstick. Kammy was appalled at Kamella's appearance. She was so... flashy.
"I thought I'd drop by and teach your class," she motioned at the Magikoopas crowded around the room condescendingly, "something or two about dueling. After all, Bowser placed me in charge of all the Magikoopas-in-training." She smiled sweetly.
"Well go ahead and show them whatever you're planning on showing them," Kammy grumbled, moving aside so Kamella could have the Magikoopas’ full attention.
"Oh no, Kammy," Kamella said, "you and I are going to duel. It's time these Magikoopa weaklings learn the real way to fight."
Kammy sighed heavily. She would much rather not duel with Kamella. After all, Kamella was more powerful and much younger than she, but to say no to the duel would be admitting that Kamella was the better Magikoopa to all her students. The thought of that would be embarrassing.
Kamella motioned Kammy towards the door. "Let's fight in the courtyard, it will give us more room." Kammy reluctantly followed Kamella out the door and into the spacious courtyard. The young Magikoopa students whispered excitedly behind Kammy. They had never seen a real duel before. Kammy hoped nobody was watching from the windows to see her embarrassment... especially not Kamek!
Kamella whipped out her wand and faced Kammy.
"And now," she said fiercely, "we duel!"
Kamella waved her wand with small back-and-forth movements. Fireballs raced out of her wand - straight at Kammy. But Kammy was ready, she knew Kamella used fireballs often. Kammy drew up a shield and felt the intensity of the fireballs as they ricocheted off her shield. Kammy raised her wand and sent a spell at Kamella that would double her over in pain. But Kamella was diligent, and merely ducked under the charm. Kammy felt frustrated- how could she find Kamella's weakness? Then it hit her: she would fight in the air on her broomstick! Kammy was a good flyer, she had learned how to fly as a young Magikoopa and had practiced with Kamek many, many times. Kammy summoned her broom with a flourish of her wand and took flight.
Kamella stared at Kammy, who was now soaring above her. Kamella knew that Kammy had the advantage now. Kamella was not a great flyer, but she had learned the art. She summoned her broom and threw one leg over it as she rose quickly through the air to Kammy's height. She debated momentarily on what spell to fire at Kammy. That moment was all that Kammy needed. Kammy flew straight at Kamella. Kamella stared bewildered at the Magikoopa flying straight at her. Is she half mad? Kamella thought. We're going to collide! Kamella ducked jerkily downward at the last moment and lost her balance. She plummeted down to earth with increasing speed and hit the ground with an earsplitting crash. Kammy flew down to where Kamella lay on the ground. Kamella turned and looked at Kammy with hatred. Blood streamed steadily from her nose, but aside from that no damage was done.
"Will you surrender?" Kammy asked Kamella, hoping she could end the duel now as the victor. Kamella's eyes narrowed.
"Never," Kamella spat, "will I surrender to you!" Kamella rapidly fired purple flames at her rival. Kammy was caught off guard and tried to throw up a barrier against Kamella's evil purple fire. The force of trying to made a shield against Kamella's flames proved to be too much for Kammy, and she stumbled backwards, tripped, and fell to the ground with a crack. Pain ripped through Kammy's thigh and she knew without a doubt that her leg was broken. Before she could surrender to Kamella, the castle door opened with a creak.
"What IS going on?" Kamek stared at the Magikoopas-in-training, Kammy lying prone on the ground and Kamella with blood still gushing from her nose.
"Kammy and I were having a duel," Kamella smiled flirtatiously at Kamek.
"I see that!" Kamek exclaimed. "Are you okay, Kamella?" He walked over to Kamella and took her by the hand.
"Oh, I'm fine," Kamella said, "but I don't think she is." Kamella pointed at Kammy condescendingly.
Kamek glanced at Kammy on the ground and then focused his attention back to Kamella. "Oh, Kammy will be fine. Come with me and I'll help get some medical attention for your nose." Kamek tenderly kissed Kamella on the cheek as he led her back into the castle.
Kammy fumed as she watched the two's retreating backs. Oh, the nerve of that Kamella! she thought angrily. Someday I'll get her back for this... You wait and see!
Meanwhile, Kamella and Kamek walked hand in hand back inside the castle. Kamella glanced at Kamek shyly. Although she had been very abrupt with Kammy, she was actually very shy. She had no friends; nobody had ever loved her or even liked her. But now she felt like she knew what love at first sight was. Kamek waved his wand casually and a damp cloth appeared in his hand.
"This might hurt a little," Kamek said as he pressed the cloth up against Kamella's nose, which still had blood dropping from it. Kamek gently wiped the blood from under Kamella's nose and gazed into her eyes. Kamek had never been in love before either. Kammy had pestered him for ages to go out with her... He had tried to refuse kindly but sometimes Kammy got annoying. After all, she was ancient, weak, and she even seemed to be losing her mind sometimes. True, she was a good friend... but he just couldn't love her in the way he found himself in love with Kamella.
Kamek was gazing so intensely into Kamella's face that he didn't notice that their privacy was being invaded until he heard a suppressed giggle from behind him. He quickly whipped away from Kamella and faced the invader. It was Bowser Jr. and Wendy.
"Wow... Kamek and Kamella!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed. "I thought you weren't capable of the emotion called love!" Wendy tried not to laugh.
Kamek turned tomato red. "I never said she was my girlfriend! I'm not in love with her... I was only... helping her stop a nose bleed."
"Uh huh," Wendy said sarcastically, "so that's why you're turning bright red."
Kamek turned even redder. "I was... hot. Anyway, it's none of your business anyway." And with that Kamek turned on his heel and vanished from the room, leaving Kamella standing awkwardly by herself.
"So, you're the new Magikoopa," Wendy commented, looking Kamella up and down. "You sure have better makeup tastes than Kammy. Kammy doesn't believe in makeup." Wendy was obsessed with makeup and her appearance. She had painted her fingernails a zany hot pink, she had bright purple eyeshadow on, and wore bright red lipstick. Wendy loved looking at herself in the mirror... The only thing was she wasn't exactly skinny. But Wendy didn't like to think about that. Guys like girls with a little shape, after all, Wendy reasoned with herself.
"Kamek's never been in love before," Bowser Jr. commented, eyeing Kamella slyly.
Kamella's yellowish cheeks turned pink. "Do you mind introducing yourselves? I don't even know your names and you're trying to pry into my love life."
Now it was Wendy's turn to blush. "Oh, sorry. I'm Wendy Koopa, Bowser's only daughter, and this is Junior. He's the youngest," she added condescendingly.
"Hey!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed angrily. "Daddy loves me more than you!"
Wendy shrugged nonchalantly. "Whatever. Anyway, Daddy sent me to find you, Kamella. He says he has an important job for you. Come with me."
Wendy motioned for Kamella to follow her. Unsure of what else to do, Kamella trailed Wendy through various corridors and passageways before she stopped outside a room with a large, wooden door with shiny, brass handles. Kamella glanced around. There were many pictures on the wall. Most of them seemed to be of Bowser or the Koopalings. Wendy adjusted the ridiculously large polka-dotted bow on her head, than whispered to Kamella, "Make sure you do whatever Daddy tells you to. I need thirty dollars from him for a new necklace and he'll only give them to me if he's in a good mood."
Kamella shrugged. This is what I came her for. To work for Bowser, she thought as Wendy pushed opened the heavy doors with a loud, eerie creak. Kamella quickly took in her surroundings. Bowser sat in the middle of the room on a long, burgundy sofa with all his minions gathered around him. The Hammer Brothers were there, as were the Dry Bones, Bloopers, Kamek and the Magikoopas, and even Kammy.
"Hello Kamella," Bowser said commandingly, "I was just telling all my minions about the galaxies I have just created. I have made 120 of them and each one must be protected. I plan to kidnap Princess Peach, then return here with her by my side to oversee my wonderful galaxies. However, like I said, each one must be protected. I will only allow my most trusted and accomplished servants to oversee the galaxies. I do expect a little bit of a fight from Mario since I am kidnapping Princess Peach, so I want you to be vigilant and ready to fight at any time. Kamella, I would like for you to watch over the Airship Armada. Do you think you are capable of that?"
Kamella swallowed; she was being asked to go on her first mission. "Yes, of course," Kamella replied confidently. She noticed Kammy glaring at her from the corner.
"Are you sure this is wise, King Koopa?" Kamek inquired worriedly. "She has a good chance of getting hurt after all..."
"I am capable of this, Kamek," Kamella told Kamek firmly. "But if you want to discuss battle strategies with me later, I would love your advice." Actually, what Kamella really wanted was just to build a relationship with Kamek... but she could do that while discussing battle strategies.
"Yes, let's do that!" Kamek agreed readily. "Let's meet in the courtyard at 9:00 tonight." Kamella nodded excitedly.
Bowser cleared his throat loudly. "Anyway! Like I was saying, I am appointing more of you to rule other galaxies."
Bowser appointed several more minions to oversee the galaxies, but none of the Magikoopas really seemed to be listening. Kamek and Kamella were both thinking about spending time together, and Kammy was busy... plotting revenge!