Chapter Text
To say the Mushroom Kingdom was in a state of chaos would be an understatement.
Compared to Bowser’s usual invasions, this one was rather tame. There were no airships open firing on Toad Town. Not a single Bullet Bill or Bob-omb flew through the air. Property damage was surprisingly low. However, that didn’t mean this “invasion” was exactly peaceful.
Koopa Troopas, Goombas, Lakitus and more were running rampant, tearing up marketplaces, parks, and homes for… something. It wasn’t exactly clear what they were looking for, but whatever it was had all of Bowser’s Minions in an absolute panic. One would think the world was about to end by the way they ran around like chickens without heads.
Mario & Luigi were called in, naturally. However, no matter how many minions they attempted to interrogate, they were only given rushed answers delivered through panic or impatience. From what they could glean, something had gone missing and Bowser was in a frenzy trying to find it; and if the Boss was in a frenzy, then the minions would be in a frenzy.
The brothers didn’t get very far into their investigations before the King Koopa himself arrived on the scene. He practically plowed through buildings as he made a direct beeline for the Castle. He didn’t even spare Mario or Luigi a glance as he raced past with surprising speed for the hulking King.
Assuming the worst, the brothers gave chase. The last thing they needed was for Bowser to try another kidnapping in the middle of this chaos.
The doors to the castle had been blown open. Guards were scattered and moaning on the floor, trying to recover from their brief encounter with the Koopa King. There were heavy cracks in the tile caused by the force Bowser was throwing his heavy gait around. Neither brother had ever seen Bowser move this fast or with this much purpose.
When they finally arrived in the throne room, Mario and Luigi were both ready for a fight.
Instead, they saw the Koopa King on his knees, gasping for breath in front of Peach’s throne. Toadsworth looked like he was about to pass out, while Peach seemed deeply concerned and confused.
“What is going ON here?!” Mario exclaimed; his voice echoed through the chamber and drew everyone’s attention.
“M-Master Mario! Master Luigi! Bowser–!” Toadworth began but was cut off by Bowser shooting to his feet with a deep growl. He turned to face the Mario Brothers, his body language stiff as if he were gearing up for a fight.
Bowser looked… Exhausted. His hair, while already messy, was somehow even messier. He had dark circles under his eyes; the eyes themselves lacked his usual spark and energy. While Mario couldn’t see any visible injuries on Bowser, he definitely didn’t seem to be in any shape for a Kidnapping attempt, let alone a fight.
“ Oh mio… You look terrible, Bowser.” Luigi voiced Mario’s thoughts out loud, which made the Koopa King scoff.
“I’m fine. ” Bowser snapped, “Just a little out of breath is all.”
“And what’s the rush?” Mario crossed his arms and raised a brow, “You came running in here like a bat out of the Underwhere.”
“ THAT ISN’T ANY OF YOUR–” Bowser hissed, his throat glowed with a dangerous light and steam hissed out of his nostrils. But as quick as his anger spiked, it diminished. It was almost uncanny, considering Bowser wasn’t exactly known for his self-control. Yet there he was, wrangling in his temper and rubbing at his eyes.
“I believe it is very much all of our business, considering this is the Mushroom Kingdom you’re tearing up!” Toadsworth snapped, raising his cane. “Now explain yourself, you fiend! What could you possibly want with the Princess now?!”
“I don’t want Peach! At least not this time…” Bowser ground his teeth, “I want– Need– It’s…” He was stumbling over his own words. Every attempt at starting a sentence was dashed and the difficulty of communication was clearly getting to him.
Peach, silent this entire time, stepped down from her throne and approached the hulking Koopa King. Her hand on his arm caused him to freeze and his frantic rambling was instantly silenced.
“Bowser.” Peach, concern burning in her eyes as her brows furrowed, “When was the last time you slept?”
“...” Bowser stared down at her, eyes half-lidded and weary. “I don’t know, a-a few days? That’s not important.”
“Does this have anything to do with that ‘thing’ that went missing?” Mario and Luigi, now feeling a bit safer, risked getting closer. Bowser whipped his head around to face them as if he had forgotten they were standing there in the few seconds he hadn’t been looking at them. He really must have been out of it, then.
“Missing?” Peach asked, this obviously being the first she heard about it. Her gaze drifted from Mario up to Bowser, who looked put on the spot. After a beat of silence, Bowser released a heavy sigh.
“My son…” His voice was soft, shaky, heartbroken. “Junior’s missing.”
Toadsworth sputtered in disbelief. Peach’s hands flew up to her mouth, eyes wide in surprise. Luigi took his hat off and twisted it in his hands, a nervous habit he’d picked up over the years. Mario, though, remained calm.
“Bowser Junior is missing? ” Mario was taken aback by this news. Now everyone’s frantic behavior made sense. The crown prince was missing and he was only… What, eight? Sure, the kid knew how to fight, but…
“He’s been missing for three days ,” Bowser continued, “I already tore up the Koopa Kingdom looking for him and I figured the next best place to look would be here… But I guess we got carried away.” He rubbed at his eyes with a heavy sigh. It looked like the world was falling apart around Bowser, and it probably was. It was no secret that Bowser loved Junior, so having his son go missing was probably killing him from the inside out.
“It’s obvious he’s not here, I’ll tell my troops to clean up the mess and move out.” Bowser turned towards the exit, carefully avoiding meeting anyone’s gaze. “Maybe he went South instead–”
“Do you…” Surprisingly, it was Luigi who spoke up first, “Do you want some help looking for him?” A bit of pride swelled in Mario’s chest, happy that Luigi beat him to the punch. Their twin telepathy seemed to be in full effect today.
“I would also like to offer our aid,” Peach said, a kind smile on her face. “Two Kingdoms searching for him would be better than one.”
Bowser stared at them with wide eyes. He was in disbelief at what he was hearing. Maybe the lack of sleep was finally getting to him, perhaps he passed out from exhaustion and was dreaming all of this, or maybe he went crazy.
If he wasn’t running purely on the blackest coffee known to man, Bowser probably would have thrown a fit to keep his pride intact. He would have spat at their offer, saying he didn’t need their help and that he was perfectly capable of doing this on his own. Like always.
He didn’t voice any of this, instead only managing to muster a small, “Why…?”
“Look,” Mario stepped forward, “We have a… rocky history, yes, but Junior is still just a kid. Family relations aside, we’re not going to stand by while a little boy might be in danger.”
“He can handle himself,” Bowser said, slightly annoyed but his tone had no edge to it, “He’s a clever little punk but… His scales haven’t hardened. He can’t even make a proper fireball yet. He’s a good fighter but he hasn’t had enough experience to handle large groups of enemies….” He trailed off as various worrying scenarios played through his head.
“You’re worried, I get that. Any parent would be.” Mario held a hand out, “Let us help.”
Bowser stared down at Mario, eyes searching for a lie. He knew, though, that the Plumber was incapable of being so deceitful. He was too much of a “goody-two-shoes” as his son called him to do something that underhanded.
He exhaled sharply through his nose - a small plume of smoke spat out as a result - before swallowing his pride and shaking Mario’s hand. As tempting as it was to crush the human’s smaller hand, Bowser simply didn’t have the energy to be petty. Junior took priority over his personal baggage.
“Fine.” Bowser gave Mario’s hand one firm shake before letting go. “But after Junior is safe, the truce is off.”
“Sounds good to me.” Mario flicked the brim of his signature cap.
“Perhaps…” Peach began, “You should tell us what happened, first. Maybe Junior left some clues behind. Besides, it looks like you need a minute to rest. Toadsworth, could you arrange for some tea and snacks to be brought out into the garden?”
Toadsworth blinked, unresponsive for a moment. It took a second to process the request, then another to accept the fact that Bowser was to be treated as a guest before he gave a curt bow and ran off to fulfill her wishes.
Mario, Luigi, and Peach escorted the weary Bowser to the courtyard garden where he promptly collapsed into the nearest chair that looked like it could support his weight. Now that he was sitting down, it was even easier to see how tired he was.
The entire time, Mario and Luigi had taken to whispering to one another in Italian. While both brothers were on board with the plan to help find Junior, they were currently trading ideas and theories as to Junior’s possible whereabouts.
“A kidnapping, maybe? You don’t think King Boo took him, do you? He’s the only one I can think of who would be able to slip in and out of that fortress without being seen.” Luigi muttered, to which Mario shook his head.
“I can’t see why. Bowser and King Boo are allies. Then again it wouldn’t be the first time those two have had a disagreement–”
“Could you two stop speaking that gibberish,” Bowser snapped, but his tone was too tired to be threatening. “It’s giving me even more of a headache than usual.”
“ Scusa .” Mario and Luigi said at the same time without missing a beat much to Bowser’s annoyance.
“Now boys, be nice,” Peach softly scolded as she took her seat at one of the elegant picnic tables situated in the garden. Platters of tea and snacks were delivered by a few Toads before they dismissed themselves, giving the Koopa King a side-eye as they went.
The group sat in silence for a moment. Peach and Luigi busied themselves by adding sugar to their tea cups while Mario and Bowser found each other in a staring contest.
“So.” Mario began, “What happened right before Junior disappeared…?”
Bowser frowned, a large claw tapping on his knee as he thought back to when this whole mess started.
“We had an argument…”
Three Days Prior…
Bowser’s Castle stood tall and intimidating under a stormy sky. Despite the thickness of the cloud cover, everyone knew the rain would never fall in this area of the Koopa Kingdom. The castle itself was sparsely lit by natural lava flows and strategically placed torches, causing deep shadows to cut across the halls. To an intruder, the Koopa Castle was a picture of intimidation, especially with how quiet it was…
That silence was then promptly interrupted by a child’s surprised shouting.
“ What?! ” Junior stomped his foot, his little fangs bared in a fashion uncannily similar to his father. “What do you mean you want me to stay home?! ”
“It’s exactly what I said,” Bowser sat on his throne, fingers tapping away on the armrest, “I don’t want you joining me on my next campaign. You are to remain here with Kamek and focus on your studies.”
“Why?” Junior’s frustration gave way to confusion, “I had a bunch of really cool new ideas to show you to help you beat the Mario Bros!”
“Why? Because… Because I said so, okay?” Bowser growled, growing frustrated. He side-eyed Kamek, looking for some advice but the Magikoopa just stood there completely silent. Of course, the one time Bowser actually needs his advisor to advise he’s as quiet as the dead. Perfect. “You can show me your ideas some other time. Just listen to me–”
“But... But…!” The Prince stammered, trying to find another way to convince his father to let him tag along. “I’ll train more!” Junior stood straighter, “I promise I won’t slack off in my workshop and do more training lessons! I won’t fail to help again like all those other times!”
Bowser sighed and leaned forward on his throne, “Junior, this isn’t about that.”
“Then what is it about?!” His son threw his arms out wide, “What did I do wrong?!”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s just… Complicated.” Bowser rubbed at his eyes, already weary of this conversation. “If you do this for me, I’ll take you to the toy store or something.”
“But I don’t want toys, I wanna be with you! ” His son pleaded, looking at him with the worst kicked-puppy look he could muster.
“And you will be,” The Koopa King’s patience was starting to wear thin, “Just not in a war zone–”
“You CAN’T!” Junior’s voice cracked, still unwilling to let this go, “You-You–” He stammered, looking for any last argument he could still make. “You need me! You need me to help you beat the Mario Brothers!”
“I don’t need you!” Bowser snapped, rising to his feet. A lick of fire escaped through his clenched teeth. The raising of his voice silenced Junior, who looked up at his father with wide eyes. The two stared at each other in silence for a beat before Bowser spoke again. “I don’t need you on the battlefield, Junior. It’s no place for children.”
Junior’s hands clenched into tiny fists and tears sprung from his eyes. The tiniest puffs of smoke flew from his nostrils in reaction to his rising anger.
“Y-Yeah?” Junior’s voice cracked, “I-I’m not a baby! I can take care of myself just FINE!” Sparks flew from his mouth as he spat the last word. “You think you’re so high and mighty and cool, but you can’t even take down a stupid squishy PLUMBER! So why should I listen to you?! ”
“Junior,” Bowser spoke in warning, but his son continued.
“You can’t even capture a Princess right! You haven’t won any battles or conquered anything! Face it, Dad!” Junior jabbed a finger in his father’s direction, furious tears running down his cheeks. “YOU’RE THE WORST KOOPA KING EVER!”
“That is IT!” The castle shook with Bowser’s rage. “If I can’t ask you nicely, then we’re doing this the hard way! Junior, you’re grounded until further notice! You’re not to leave your room under any circumstances! Understood? ”
“What?!” Junior flinched back, “But-but–!”
“Am. I. Understood? ”
Junior’s voice died in his throat. He stood there a moment, tears freely flowing and sizzling on the hot obsidian tiles. He sniffled a bit before finally speaking again.
“You’re not just the worst king ever,” Junior’s voice was soft, yet deafening in the quiet of the room, “You’re the worst Dad ever too.”
And with that, the little Prince turned on his heel and stormed out of the throne room.
Bowser sighed, guilt already swirling in his gut. He didn’t feel victorious at that moment. He just felt like the biggest jerk on the planet. His pride and lack of patience had caused him to fly off the handle.
He didn’t like yelling at his children, not one bit. Sometimes his own temper got the better of him, and he forgot that children would say anything to try to win a fight. Especially if they felt what they were fighting against wasn’t fair. They had a strong sense of justice like that.
But Bowser couldn’t do it. He couldn’t let his son be caught in the crossfire. They already had several close calls with the “Fury” incident at Lake Lapcat. He loved spending time with Junior, loved showing him the ropes, but his stomach churned at the thought of an enemy deciding that his child looked like an easy target. (And what if that enemy was himself? How many times now had Bowser been possessed by some malicious entity? What if Mario wasn’t there to clean up the mess like he usually was?)
Junior couldn’t come with him on his campaigns. Not anymore. It was safer for him that way.
“Kamek.” Bowser sat back down on his throne with a heavy ‘thud’ that shook the floor.
“Yes, your snappiness?” The Magikoopa adjusted his glasses, no longer standing there like a statue.
“I want a couple of guards posted at Junior’s bedroom door to make sure he stays in there.” Bowser grumbled, “He’s not allowed to go into his workshop. If he behaves himself for the rest of the week, though, then he’ll be allowed to go tinker again. Let all the minions know that Junior isn’t allowed to leave the castle, let alone his room.”
“Of course, your crankiness, I’ll see it done.” Kamek bowed slightly and turned to make his leave.
“... Kamek?” Bowser sat up. Kamek paused and turned to face Bowser again.
“Yes?”
“Is it wrong for me to want him safe?” Bowser knew he wasn’t the best dad. He thought he was doing alright, but it was moments like these where he really started to question his merit as a parent. He never knew his own father, so he didn’t have a role model to base his own experiences on. He was improvising this whole Dad thing, and he couldn’t help but feel he was failing. “Am I… Am I doing the right thing here?”
Kamek thought about his answer for an agonizingly long minute before standing a bit straighter.
“You are not a bad father for wanting your child to be safe and sound,” He replied, “But the bitter truth is, you can’t keep him safe forever. The world is a harsh place. It leaves its scars on us all. Junior will get hurt, be it emotionally or - Stars forbid - physically. What matters most then, is being there for him.”
“Alright…” Bowser nodded, looking as if he carried a heavy weight on his shoulders, “Okay, I get it. Thanks…”
“Is there anything else you needed?” Kamek folded his hands behind his back.
“No, that will be all… Thank you.”
With that, Bowser was left alone with his thoughts and his knawing guilt.
Later That Evening…
Bowser’s heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. There was a tray in his hands, a steaming hot meal set upon it. He had asked the head chef to cook up one of Junior’s favorite meals. The servants seemed a bit surprised when Bowser insisted on taking dinner to his son himself, but none of them raised a fuss.
It may not repair all the damage Bowser had done earlier that day, but this would at least (hopefully) show Junior that he was still open to talking.
The earlier argument had been eating away at him all day, but Bowser hoped this little offering could bring both him and his son some peace of mind.
Junior hadn’t left his room all day, and according to the guards, they hadn’t heard a peep out of the young Prince for the past several hours. Which meant either one of two things, either his son was asleep or he was moping.
Bowser dismissed the two guards at the door, wanting to have as much privacy as possible. He didn’t feel like worrying about eavesdroppers. He loved his minions, he really did, but damn did they have a bad habit of gossiping.
Once the guards were gone, Bowser turned to the door and raised a fist to knock…
But his knuckles refused to meet the heavy wood.
He was Bowser, King of the Koopas, powerful and strong, spoken about in scared whispers by the neighboring kingdoms. He had seen battle after battle, and while not all of them were won, he had the strength and determination to keep getting back up despite his failures. He was revered by his people, and feared by his enemies…
And yet Bowser still found himself hesitating outside his young son’s door, too afraid to knock.
He was actually afraid of having this conversation with Junior. He was afraid that his little boy hated him now, afraid that he’d just failed as a parent. He hated it. He stomped down those feelings and tried to steel his nerves.
‘Knock Knock Knock’
Bowser kept the sound soft so as to not startle his son. He waited a moment to see if he could hear any acknowledgment from the other side. There was the soft sound of fabric rustling, but nothing else.
“Junior? It’s me…” Bowser called through the door, “I brought you your dinner.”
Silence.
“I understand if you’re still upset.” Bowser sighed, “But I wanted to talk to you about earlier and… And apologize for what I said. Can I come in…?”
No response followed.
Bowser’s brow furrowed as he leaned in closer toward the door to try to hear anything. There was that rustling of cloth again, but now that he paid close attention, it sounded like the curtains rustling in the wind.
“.. .Junior?” A bad feeling settled in his gut. Something about this felt wrong, but he couldn’t quite place it.
Bowser reached for the doorknob, paused a moment to announce he was coming in, and then opened it.
It was messy, like usual. Drawings and art supplies were scattered about the room. Nothing seemed out of place.
However, there was a distinct lack of his son.
Bowser felt a bit of panic stab into him as he practically tossed the tray of food on the closest table and started searching. He called out to his son, saying how if this was another one of his pranks then it wasn’t funny, but the only response he ever got was the soft breeze from the open window–
Bowser froze in his search when a horrible realization slammed into him.
The guards hadn’t seen Junior leaving, which meant there was only one other exit he could take…
But he didn’t have his Junior Clown Car with him. That was still in his workshop, it would have been impossible for him to fly out the window without it.
The answer came when he approached the window and found a length of blankets used as an improvised rope. It wasn’t enough to lower Junior to the ground, but it had been enough to carry him down to the next floor and enter the room below this one.
One would think that upon realizing his son had snuck out against his wishes, Bowser would be furious. He was known for his temper after all.
But instead of anger, Bowser just felt a flood of worry . That bad feeling in his gut was churning now. All of his instincts screamed at him that something bad had happened.
He stormed out of the room, Junior’s meal forgotten, and called for guards. His “furious” roars shook the castle and it wasn’t long before the alarm was raised.
Nobody had seen Junior after he had gone into his room, but there was evidence to suggest he had raided the pantry before the trail went cold. There were no signs of forced entry. The only things missing were Junior’s Magic Paintbrush, a couple of power-ups kept in one of the lower storage rooms, and a few days' worths of food.
All of this led Bowser to one horrible, gut-wrenching conclusion.
Junior ran away from home.
They had no idea when he had left, but it was safe to assume he had a head start by at least several hours. Without his Clown Car he would be significantly slowed down, but also harder to spot if he reached anywhere where the green of his shell could blend in with the foliage.
Bowser didn’t care about these details though, he just wanted to see results.
All of his minions were ordered to drop whatever they were doing and start the search. Bowser himself vowed not to rest until his son was found.
It has been three days since the search for the lost Koopa Prince began… And three days without any signs of him.
“That’s everything…” Bowser said, nursing the almost comically small mug in his large hands. Peach had been kind enough to offer him some coffee, which he took with gratitude. “Junior ran away from home and it’s all my fault.”
“Oh, Bowser…” Peach looked like her heart was breaking.
Mario and Luigi shared a frown. It was a bit uncomfortable for them to see Bowser look so… Defeated. Even when they managed to stop his evil schemes, the Koopa King was always raring to go for another round. His tenacity was something that annoyed them, but it was also something to be admired.
Now, though? That fire of determination was completely extinguished, leaving Bowser incredibly vulnerable.
“Well, you said he took a few days' worth of food, yeah?” Mario asked, tapping his fingers on the picnic table. Bowser nodded. “If he’s running low on supplies, then he might pop up in a town to restock.”
“I’ll alert the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom to keep an eye out for him,” Peach volunteered. “I’m sure everyone would be willing to lend a hand. Mario? Luigi?” The Princess turned toward the brothers. Luigi was fidgeting with his gloves while Mario seemed deep in thought.
“Yes, Princess?” Luigi answered.
“If Juinor isn’t in the Mushroom or Koopa Kingdoms then he might have fled to Beanbean or even Sarasaland if he found some way to fly.” Peach sighed, “I’ll have Toadsworth send messages to both those Kingdoms to alert them of the situation. As for you two, we might need you to search the more dangerous areas.”
“O-Oh…” Luigi gulped, but Mario’s reassuring pat on his shoulder helped ease his nerves.
“If I may, Principessa …” Mario got to his feet, “I think I might have an idea to narrow the search.”
“Well spit it out!” Bowser snapped, “Every second wasted is another second my son could be in danger!” Mario gave Bowser a flat look, unphased by the large koopa’s anger.
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Mario turned to face Bowser fully, “But isn’t Junior’s paintbrush an invention made by Professor Gadd?”
“Huh?” Bowser’s irritated look turned into one of confusion. He pondered Mario’s question for a moment before nodding, “Yeah. Junior took it a while ago, why?”
“Luigi, you work with the Professor often.” Mario now turned to his brother, who muttered a quiet “unfortunately” before Mario continued, “Doesn’t E. Gadd have some way of tracking down his inventions if they get lost or stolen?”
“Oh! I get it!” Peach smiled, jumping to her feet in excitement, “If the Professor can track the paintbrush, then we could track down Bowser Jr!”
“Then what are we waiting for?!” Now it was Bowser’s turn to jump to his feet. The fire in his eyes alighted with new hope. “Let’s go find my son! Lead the way, Greenie!”
Bowser didn’t wait for Luigi to put his teacup down as he grabbed the green plumber by the back of his shirt and dragged him off like he weighed nothing. Mario and Peach barely had time to run off after them.
Meanwhile…
Junior adjusted the bandana over his face and cast a wary glance around himself. Nobody in the train car paid him any mind, all of them either staring off into space or glued to their phones. Still, he couldn’t help but be wary. He was on his own now, in unfamiliar and strange territory.
It had been three days since he found himself in the massive city he’d come to learn was called “New York”. The buildings pierced the sky and the subway tunnels seemed almost as daunting as the dungeons beneath Koopa Castle. The sheer number of people residing here was almost overwhelming, almost. Though the sheer number of humans populating the city caught him off guard. He hadn’t even known so many existed in one place.
Junior crossed his arms and perked up when the intercom buzzed to life. The announcer mumbled something incoherent through the old tinny speakers as the train came to a steady halt. The young Koopa rose from his seat, blending into the crowd of commuters as they all exited onto the train platform.
He trudged up the steps and onto the street. It was late, but with how many people were still out and how bright the streets were with lights, one would think concepts like “night” and “sleeping” didn’t exist here.
Junior dug into the pocket of the hoodie he had stolen from a gift shop and pulled out a brochure. He ignored the colorful advertisements plastered all over the thing to check the map.
He had been exploring all day, trying to get his bearings and using the train. Sneaking on and off the subway was a sinch with his small size. Nobody in this city bothered to look down.
“So, this is the East Broadway Station…” Junior muttered to himself, glancing around and committing the area to memory, “Which makes this Seward Park.”
He turned around to face the colorful park fully. It was empty, thankfully, and the colorful playsets and foliage provided Junior with plenty of places to hide. It would be a good place to catch forty winks before setting off exploring again. He couldn’t see the moon thanks to how tall all the buildings were, but he was pretty sure it was way past his bedtime.
Normally, he would have looked for an inn or even a hotel to rest in, but in his rush to leave home, he had forgotten to bring his piggy bank. It wouldn’t be his first time camping out, but he did long for a cozy bed to rest in.
Junior hopped the fence and began exploring the playground, looking for a good place to curl up and take a nap. He found a little plastic tunnel on the bottom of one of the playsets that would offer him just enough cover to remain hidden. Without a second thought, he hauled himself into the tunnel and lay there.
Sleep didn’t take him. Not right away.
Now that he was still, his mind suddenly found itself under assault by more… concerning thoughts.
It had been three days.
None of the humans he had bothered to talk to had heard of any of the Kingdoms he was familiar with. There were no warp pipes, no blocks, nothing familiar.
He had heard rumors that warp pipes had a rare chance to connect to other worlds. Some of the rumors even suggested the Mario Brothers had come from one such pipe, but he never really cared enough to ask.
He was beginning to think that maybe those rumors had some merit to them.
It had been three days .
Three days in a weird new world. Three days with no clear way home. The novelty of being on his own had long since worn out. Now he was just homesick.
It had been three days, and Junior wanted his Dad…
But his Dad probably never wanted to see him again.
“Whatever, who needs him?” Junior pulled himself into his shell and closed his eyes. “I’ll be fine by myself…”
Maybe tomorrow would be better.