''... and that's about how it went down.'' I finished the story.

''Wow, I would've gone with you if I knew that would happen.'' Waluigi said.

''Me too.'' Polari and Flamy said at the same time.

''It wasn't that bad. I only almost died a few times.'' I joked.

''I've got to talk to Shawn later when I see him.'' Waluigi said. ''He must be so shaken after all of that.''

''I thought he handled everything pretty well.'' I objected.

Flamy's phone suddenly started ringing and she went out of the cafeteria to answer, leaving us alone by the table.

''So, Luigi is in no shape to fight?'' Waluigi asked with a sad sigh.

''I don't think so. He's a nervous depressed trainwreck.'' I explained. ''He would be no match for Bowser in his current state.''

''Then that means that we'll have to find someone else.''

''Can't we try Wario again?'' Polari suggested.

''We already did. Remember?'' Waluigi reminded him.

''Oh, yeah. Then, maybe Yoshi or Donkey Kong?''

I didn't answer Polari's question when I saw that Luigi and Ludwig entered the cafeteria, Luigi looked really surprised when he saw us.

''Oh boy,'' Waluigi whispered.

''Waluigi?'' Luigi said surprised. ''You're here too?''

Waluigi sighed quietly so that Luigi wouldn't hear him, he waved to him awkwardly. ''Hi, Luigi. Happy to see me?''

''Actually, I am.''

''Say what now?'' He asked confused.

Luigi walked up to our table together with Ludwig. ''I am happy to see you. I thought you were dead.''

''So you miss me when I'm dead, huh?'' Waluigi said as he crossed his arms.

''I didn't know what I had until it was gone.'' He sheepishly explained.

''Well, I guess it's your lucky day then!'' Waluigi replied annoyed. ''I'm alive, woohoo. Why would you even miss me?''

''I liked playing sports with you. You were always a good opponent.''

Waluigi was quiet for a moment, he was touched by Luigi's words but he didn't want to say it.

''Aww, that was very sweet of you, Luigi,'' I said.

Luigi blushed. ''T-thank you.''

''Pff, I already knew that. Who would be a better opponent than me?''

''Just accept the compliment, Walu,'' I told him and pulled his hat down in front of his eyes jokingly.

He adjusted his hat again. ''I did... in my way.''

''Anyway, can't we try to find Yoshi or Donkey Kong?'' Polari repeated.

''It's no use.'' Ludwig sighed. I got a little surprised hearing him say something after being quiet during our whole discussion. ''We don't really know any safe way there, and before you even can start your journey you have to get over the kingdom's borders. If we were to plan a trip to the island it wouldn't happen anytime soon.''

''But we have to get Yoshi or Donkey Kong to save us!'' Polari exclaimed.

''Don't you think I want that to happen too? But we can't take risks, we've already lost enough people to Bowser's army!'' Ludwig was close to slamming his fist onto the table. ''I even had to watch some of them get tortured and killed by my own siblings!''

We all went completely quiet, I could feel that Ludwig's aura became very stressed and sorrowful after speaking about that. 

He abruptly stood up. ''I'm sorry, I need to get back to work.'' He left immediately in a hurry, I caught a glimpse of a tear falling from his left eye.

''Excuse me,'' I said to the others and started following Ludwig. 

He ran down a few stairs, the corridors became less crowded the more he ran. Soon, we were the only ones in the hallways. Ludwig hurried inside one of the rooms and locked it so that nobody would disturb him, I could hear quiet sobs coming from the inside. I knocked on the door.

''Blue?'' I asked worriedly.

The sobbing stopped briefly. ''What do you want?'' He asked.

''Can I come in?''

He was quiet for a second. ''No...''

''Let me in.'' I calmly pleaded. ''You've obviously got a lot on your mind. Maybe it would help if you talked to someone?''

''Go away.'' He ordered me, but I would not take that. He needed help.

''You can trust me, I won't tell anyone about this,'' I assured him. ''Please... just let me in.''

I could hear his claws drag across the cold metal floor for a little while before I heard the door unlock and open. 

''Come in...'' He said in a groggy voice. 

I calmly stepped inside of the room. It was filled with crates of food. Ludwig closed and locked the door after I had walked in and went to go and sit on a sack of flour, he motioned me to sit down and I joined him.

''I don't know if I can handle it anymore, Rosalina.'' He explained. ''All of those people my father killed... many of them were part of the resistance. I had to act like I was the bad guy during their executions, just to prevent my father to have any suspicions of me... their faces... they knew I had to, but their faces told me that I had betrayed them...''

He started sobbing, I put my hand on his shell as he continued talking. 

''I fear that if everybody here saw me right now they would lose their confidence in me, and believe that everything is lost because their leader can't even handle anything any longer.''

''Why would they think so if they saw you like this? You don't trust them to understand?'' I asked. ''You're going through a tough period of your life. Anybody in your place would feel as you do.''

''I just need to be a good example for the fighters. I can't show any weakness.'' He cried.

I hugged him, he may be the oldest of the Koopalings and the leader of the resistance but he was still just a child. A child shouldn't have to do this. ''It is not weak to cry, Ludwig.'' I gently said. ''You don't have to be afraid to show it.''

''I'm falling apart, Rosalina.'' He said. ''The guilt mixed with the stress I get every day is not good. We're getting more outnumbered each day, Bowser gets more powerups and we're living like worms in the dirt, hiding from birds and pray that we don't get found.''

''But we're still standing strong.'' I encouraged him. ''We won't give up that easily. Justice always wins in the end and Bowser doesn't have a chance against it.''

''But there is the chance that we maybe won't win this battle. Maybe we will lose and this kingdom will be forever lost?''

''Don't think like that,'' I said and patted his head. ''I have a very strong feeling that nothing can stand in our way.''

He wiped his tears away and started to calm down. ''The worst part is just that...'' He stared into my eyes with a look of fear. ''I need to endure the killing of my entire family.''

The feeling of realization washed over me, I had never thought about that Ludwig actually had to see his family get defeated in order to make peace return to the kingdom. ''Isn't there any other way than... killing them?''

''If we don't, they will just come back again and again. we cannot win if we spare their lives... it never works... it didn't work for Mario...''

I sighed. ''I'm so sorr-''

''Don't, I know it's my father and siblings but they're all horrible. But if it's possible: I want Junior to be unharmed. He can't do any harm... anymore, there would be no point in getting rid of him. And I love him very much.''

I wondered what he meant by ''anymore'', but I wouldn't let Ludwig lose his beloved brother. ''Of course, we'll spare him, but he will be heartbroken when he finds out about his father's death.''

''Yeah... he will...'' Ludwig sighed and stared down at the floor.

''Blue Flame? Blue? Where are you? We need you right now!'' A voice echoed through the empty halls. 

We both looked at the closed door, the only thing sealing us from everything else. I looked at Ludwig and he gave me a nod to go and open it. I opened it and looked out, Flamy was running around looking for Ludwig, she looked very stressed. 

''We're here!'' I said and motioned her to come over to us.

She hurried up to us and panted as she came to a stop. 

''My god, Flamy, what has happened to make you so worked up?'' Ludwig asked.

''We *pant* need you! *pant* A blue Yoshi just arrived outside the factory, he's very hurt and has some urgent news that he wants to tell you about!''