Kamek was at his crystal ball, talking with Bonnie.
Bonnie: What do you mean, Kamek?
Kamek: I'm sorry, okay? But I can't get them far enough away for him to come here.
Bonnie: Can't you get them off the castle grounds?
Kamek: Yes. But you know that if he gets too close...
Bonnie: Well this is just great! Now what?
Kamek: There is still Swaps...
Bonnie: Suggest that again and I'll come over there and strangle you.
Kamek: That was a bit… harsh.
Bonnie: Sorry. But last time he had a real mission he almost got Drystone incinerated.
Kamek: Would that have been so bad?
Bonnie: Kamek! Fine, but how do I tell Paradox?
Just then, Kamek heard over the crystal ball a noise he dreaded: the sound of a cane.
Paradox: Tell me what?
Bonnie: Paradox! Um, Kamek?
Kamek: You can't come here.
Paradox: What?
Kamek: I can't get them far enough away to be safe.
Paradox: Fine. Then I expect you to figure out if it's Larry, Iggy, or Lemmy without us.
Bonnie: Kamek can't do that!
Kamek: I have to. Goodbye.
The image faded. But on Bonnie's end...
Bonnie: I'm sorry, but you understand the risk.
Paradox: It's quite all right. This way I can at least finish my little pet project.
Bonnie: Your what?
Paradox: Everyone has a hobby. Mine is simply more practical than others. For our needs, that is…
Elsewhere, Kastle Koopa was a wreck. Morton was out of the hospital and had only just learned about what had been happening. Bowser was tearing the castle apart, hoping that Jr. was still somewhere inside. Ludwig had sent Roy, Wendy, and Kammy out looking for clues about Jr's location. Ludwig himself and his other siblings were in Larry's greenhouse.
Ludwig: So, we know that they always get inside the castle with no trouble. Therefore, it stands to reason that there is an inside man. We also know that only someone of authority could get the Keepers all over the castle. But who could that be?
Iggy: Let’s see, there's Jagger, Kammy, General Monty-
Lemmy: Kamek, us, and our remaining siblings.
Larry: Cross us, Monty, and our siblings off the list. We're targets, and Monty doesn't have that much authority.
Ludwig: So we are left with Kammy, Kamek, and Jagger for possible spies. Hmmm, the heads of the royal guard...
Kamek this it all on his crystal and realized that he was in danger of being discovered. He went straight to them.
Ludwig: Okay, so we know that one of us is the last keeper. But who? And what type of power will the next keeper have?
Larry: There's no point in guessing. We'll be wrong and prepare for the wrong thing.
Lemmy: I-
Iggy: Agree.
Just then a Piranha Plant popped up.
Plant: HI Guys!
Larry: Hi Steve. What's the news?
Steve: There's an old guy coming.
Iggy/Lemmy: Kamek.
Bill: Bye Guys!
He left as Kamek walked in.
Kamek: What are you four doing?
Larry: Guessing randomly who the keeper is. One of us is definitely him.
Kamek: Actually, I found a reference to the keepers in one of my books. It said that the Crystal Stars weren't hidden by the heroes who first beat the Shadow Queen after all. Someone or something attacked them, absorbed the power of the Stars, and sealed the four heroes in black treasure chests.
Lemmy: What does that have to do with the keepers? Anyway, Mario already used the heroes’ powers.
Kamek. Those were just remnants of the true power. Worthless compared to the source. Whatever took the Stars then hid them and put itself into a deep slumber. But once it woke up, anything that passed it would take a piece of the energy, which is what the keepers have. And due to the overly used thousand-year-rule, it woke up last year.
Ludwig: Well that's just great! One of us passed it and doesn't even know that he has new powers!
Iggy: It must have been when we were coming home from one of our failed plans. What was the most recent? NSMBW?
Lemmy: Yah, it must have been then.
Kamek: I'll try to find out what attacked the heroes, but it may take a while. Oh, and by the way, it said that only the Boo could stand up to this creature. That was a magician, so keep your wands close by.
All: Got it, Kamek.
That night, Kamek snuck into Larry's room. He knew that the information had been dangerous to give them, but they had guessed he might be a spy. Now they would trust him. He readied his wand when he heard a plant move behind him.
Steve: Hi Old Guy!
Kamek: Shhhh!
Steve: You know that that makes more noise than me, right?
Larry (half-asleep): Steve, go back to sleep.
Steve: But I wanna talk to the Old Guy!
Larry: You're dreaming, Steve.
Steve: OK! Bye Old Guy! Old Guy?
Kamek had rushed out when that blasted
plant started talking to him. It had almost blown his cover, so he went
to the twins' room instead. He slipped in and saw them asleep.
He went over to their bunk beds and
readied a spell…
An hour later, he walked out and went to bed. After testing them both, he was sure of the identify of the final crystal keeper.
Kamek: Now I just need to get him to the lab…
In the morning, Larry and the twins were having pancakes.
Larry: Well, Steve kept me up all night. Let’s hope nothing big happens today.
Iggy: I hope that you didn't just jinx it.
As they ate breakfast, Kamek was cooking up something sinister in his study.
Kamek: And, finished. This should bring him down here.
He stood back as his new golem came to life. It was made of stone and retrieve any target.
Kamek: Bring me the Koopaling whose wand is this color…
After finishing their breakfast, the three of Larry, Iggy, and Lemmy walked into Morton in the hall.
Morton: Hello, salutations, good day, good morning, s'up, hi, hola, bonjour, and why haven't you attacked, assaulted, mauled, beaten me yet?
Larry: You just got out of the hospital. Now be quiet before we send you back there.
The three walked off and started to watch TV in the lounge. But they didn't even get to pick a channel before the golem broke down a wall.
Larry: What is that?
Lemmy: Fire!
He had already shot it with his Freeze Gun. The golem froze at first, but immediately broke free of the ice.
Lemmy: No fair!
It threw Lemmy aside and started towards Iggy and Larry.
Iggy: Oh yeah, try this!
Iggy whistled, then spat a fireball at the golem, but it just brushed it off. It then lunged at the two Koopas, but they jumped over it. Hearing Iggy's whistle, his Chain Chomp rushed in and attacked the golem. It was holding it off, but it didn't seem to be doing any real damage. The three Koopas started blasting it with their wands, but without much effect.
Kamek was controlling the golem from his study. As long as he kept his focus, the beast could not be beaten. That was his first power: the creation of indestructible beasts. It was an awkward ability, but still useful. He had a surprise coming, though.
Morton came into his room and started to blab on about his time in the hospital. Morton was oblivious to what Kamek was doing, but was making it difficult for the wizard to concentrate…
The golem finally flung Iggy's Chomp into a wall and the Chomp passed out. Lemmy was hopelessly firing his Freeze Gun at it to buy some time. Iggy and Larry were trying to come up with a plan, but it seemed like none of their spells would work.
Until finally with Kamek...
Kamek: SHUT UP, MORTON! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO CONTROL A GOLEM WITH YOU TALKING?! Did I say that out loud?
Morton had heard him, surprisingly. And had made a run for it.
Kamek: Oh no.
With Kamek's concentration broken, the golem finally fell apart.
The three Koopalings cheered as Morton ran in and saw the rubble that had been the golem.
Morton: The golem, monstrosity, beast was being controlled by Kamek, our caretaker, a crystal keeper!
Larry: Kamek is a keeper?! Get the others! Now!
All seven Koopalings assembled at Kamek's study, but the old wizard was gone. He had taken a spare robe, a few wands and spellbooks, and had left a note.
Note: I know who it is now. The keepers shall rule! And yes, I know a spell that makes notes talk!
The Koopalings were shaken by this. Kamek had been a spy all this time.
He showed up at the keeper's HQ and was greeted by King Boo.
Kamek: What? You can't be here.
King Boo: Relax. I'm not real.
Kamek: Oh, Swaps. Not funny.
As he said this, Swaps came up behind him.
Swaps: HI KAMEK!
Kamek: AHHHH! Swaps? Then who is this?
King Boo?: This does amuse me, but come in. I trust you finished your mission.
Kamek: Yes, but how-
Swaps: Oh my gosh I've always wanted to meet King Boo and what's the thing above him and who is the keeper Kamek who is it?!
King Boo?: Yes, do tell.
Kamek: Fine. The last crystal keeper is...