Chapter Text
The eyepatch Koopa entered the base, noting the general's absence among the rescued wounded. Unease gripped him and the entire army, And, of course, as his temporary replacement, the responsibility of leading the army fell to him. The idea didn't sound bad, but the thought of his general bleeding to death at sea tormented...
"Is he still alive?" "Will they find him in time?" "Is he trapped in the stomach of that terrifying giant fish?" Questions swirled in his mind, consumed by guilt for not having been by his side.
If he had been there, by her side, they could have taken out that plumber and his crew, and maybe...
-COMMANDER KAEL!
-...
He didn't respond, too caught up in his own thoughts, until suddenly, a sharp impact hit his head.
-ugh! What the hell hit me on...-
Turning around, he realized who had hit him on the head: it was Kamek, a powerful Magikoopa skilled in magic and Bowser's right-hand man. Kamek stared at the commander.
-I called you and you didn't answer me
-I'm sorry Kamek, it won't happen again- he said in a remorseful voice, rubbing his aching head with one hand and looking down.
With a sigh, he commented dryly,-Excellent work capturing the princess.
-oh, than..-
-However, why was it necessary to aim your spear specifically at Peach?!
-Kamek, I just-
-King Bowser would have destroyed you if he'd seen you do that!!. Fortunately, he didn't notice..
-I assure you, Kamek, it will not recur.
-See that you do, boy. You don't want me to hit you again. Now, I have some matters to attend to!
-Why?-The commander thought Kamek was going to look for the missing army troops.
-The wedding of my s- King Bowser!, to Princess Peach... it is an honor to prepare for it- he expressed with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
-Today?- he asked, his mouth almost agape in shock, surprised that after her capture, the plan was to go straight to the wedding.
"Not even a date? A walk? Or maybe... a romantic dinner?" But...
Who was he to question his King's decisions...
-Of course, it is!- Kamek said with an irritated tone, restraining himself from hitting him again with his scepter.
-If you'll excuse me, I'm leaving- Kamek bid the commander farewell with an abrupt gesture, his irritation still palpable, and strode purposefully towards the room where preparations were underway.
-Lord Kamek!
-Hmm?- He stopped abruptly and turned to face him, his face twisted in irritation.
-What about those who stayed on Rainbow Road?
Kamek's voice resonated through the air, cold and authoritative. -For the moment, there will be no rescue. The wedding plans are a priority, and the entire army must assist- He turned to head towards the preparation room, without even looking back.
-I'm worried about the General's absence!-
Commander Kael exclaimed, a bit nervous about raising his voice to Bowser's right-hand man.
Several of those around them noticed the exchange, keeping their eyes on them.
-We can't just stand by and do nothing while they're bleeding out and dying!- he continued, drawing more attention from other Goombas, Hammer Bros, and Koopas.
Meanwhile, Kamek stood still, listening to every word the Commander said until...
-I can't believe you'd prioritize a SIMPLE wedding over saving the army!
-ENOUGH!- That was the final straw, and Kamek struck his magical scepter against the ground forcefully, causing the commander to levitate due to Kamek's magic.
The others were stunned by Kamek's action, but the commander was truly frozen in fear, having not measured his words and lost control...
Suddenly, Kamek teleported in front of the Koopa, staring at him fixedly and noticing the look of fear in his eyes, or rather, his one eye...
-Preparing the wedding for King Bowser is my top priority now...- With his scepter, he increased the magic against Kael, causing him to receive electrical damage, if you will, and hearing the screams and cries of pain, something that Kamek seemed to enjoy... too much.
-And someone like you shouldn't get in my way or tell me what to do... Understand?- The cries of pain continued, and the others stood frozen, unable to do anything but watch...
Suddenly, Kamek stopped damaging the Commander with his magic and threw him to the ground forcefully.
-Let this be a warning of what I'm capable of, if you intervene again. This also applies to the others...- He looked directly at those around him, and they nodded quickly.
The Magikoopa teleported away and retreated immediately, leaving the Koopa on the ground, trying to get up but unable to due to the pain in his body.
The others watched him, while some acted quickly and lifted him up, carrying him to a chair.
-Commander! Are you okay?- There was no response, only groans of pain and agony, and his throat was burning from screaming so much. Meanwhile, another Koopa arrived with a glass of water to calm him down, and the Commander received the glass and drank it in one gulp, which helped to calm his throat.
-Thanks...
The others stood in silence, beginning to murmur about what had happened...
-Why did Lord Kamek do this to the Commander?
-Didn't you hear? He was protesting that they weren't prioritizing the rescue of the General and the others on Rainbow Road...
-But... do you think he's still alive?
-I don't know... didn't you see that explosion? If he were alive, he would have been here with us by now...
-I think the sea monster might have swallowed him...- Said a Giant Hammer Bro in a mocking tone.
-Shh, don't say that in front of the Commander!
-But we can't rule out the possibility that the sea monster ate the General... besides, how would that affect the Commander with my comment? It's not like they're in a relationsh...-
Everyone turned to look at their Commander as they heard something break, and it was the glass that had fallen to the ground. Everyone fell silent.
The Koopa with a patch over his eye stood up and walked away, no one knew where, and at that moment, the Commander's expression was indescribable, as if he were angry and ashamed, but also seemed worried. Everyone stood in silence as he walked away, wondering why he was like that.
-So... are they in a relationship?
. . .
Kael trudged on, his body aching slightly with every step, but his mind was filled with dark thoughts. The rumors he'd heard earlier still lingered in his head: "What if the General isn't alive anymore?" He couldn't bear the thought, couldn't give up so easily. He needed a plan.
He needed to act.
He stopped in his tracks, looking around determinedly. In the distance, he saw some karts parked next to a rear emergency door that was still closed. Without wasting a moment, he approached the karts and quickly geared up. He opened the rear door with a lever and climbed into the kart, letting out a deep breath.
With a determined look, he sped off, ignoring the plans others had laid out for him. He had one mission: to rescue the General and the others. He was ready to face any obstacle that lay before him.