[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6W7bqko.png[/img]
[h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2]
[b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,282  (+3) 
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 11 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (238/110)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 12 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]////////////////[/color]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (15/120)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 12 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]//////////////[/color]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// (14/120)
[b][color=Aqua]Rika: Level 6 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=Aqua]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]/// (57/60)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] The Under - The Ruins - Dripstone Cave
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As the Two older Koopas watched, the end’s dart struck true and the mineral encrusted bug was out like a light. Then it was just a matter of waiting for their prize to be fetched by Kamek’s toadies, during which they noted that the big jumpy worms were not going anywhere close to a pool of disgusting looking water.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”If they did go through this chamber”[/color] Kamek theorized, gesturing towards the waterside [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Then that would likely be the way they went, seeing as it is safe from the wormy hazards”[/color]

[color=FD0000]”Something like that”[/color] Bowser agreed, as he plucked the Huuli Hoarder’s hoard from its body, and then crushed its body and then spirit in his claw in a single motion to get anything else out of it that he could. 

He pocketed the resulting mineral wealth for himself, naturally, and then suggested [color=FD0000]”So how about we check the waterside for, uh, tracks or something?”[/color] before glancing over at the bugs jr had tried to communicate with and noting that [color=FD0000]”Because those clowns seem several acts short of a circus, so I don’t think we’re getting anything out of them”[/color] based on their response to being asked questions being to put on a show rather than to, as a sane person might, answer the questions.

[color=SpringGreen]”yeah these guys are a bust”[/color] Jr agreed from where he was hovering, but as the adults started to move off, he lingered, eyes focused on the weird orange glow in one of the clown bugs. Then Dazzle wiggled out of the clown car and flopped down onto the ground, where the clown nosed sea lion began to put on his own act, producing a bubble of water, balancing on top of it, and then juggling several smaller bubbles on his nose.

[color=SpringGreen]”Oh come one we don’t have time for this”[/color] jr tried to tell his minion, but one pleading look got him to sigh and say [color=SpringGreen]”Fine, have fun. Just don’t come crying to me if something dumb happens because of this”[/color] 

He slumped down on the edge of his clown car… before  glancing back at the sick bug and feeling, again, an unnatural desire welling up inside of him: to try and help the bug despite how useless such an act would be from a selfish standpoint. 

[color=SpringGreen]”Uuuuuurgh. Fiiiiiine”[/color] the prince groaned, picking up his staff and pointing it at the drowsy insect and casting [color=SpringGreen]”Cure”[/color] and [color=SpringGreen]”Esuna”[/color] in an attempt to try and heal/clear whatever it was that was affecting the clown ant, cursing his new bleeding heart as he did so.

[hr]

While jr was reluctantly bowing to the demands of his consciousness, his elders where coming nose first with the consequences of poking about a wretched swamp 

[color=FD0000]”Yuck, this place stinks”[/color] Bowser complained in a nazily voice, the king pinching his nose shot with his fingers, before commenting to his advisor that this was [color=FD0000]”Not one of your best ideas Kamek”[/color] 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”I merely suggested this was where they [i]might[/i] have gone sire, you are the one who suggested we follow it directly”[/color] the mage retorted, which left his king a little surprised truth be told, given its directness. Had the height provided by the drake the mage now sat atop given him confidence to see himself on more equal ground as the towering tyrant, or was it that his new ears were making him more catty? 

Who could say.

Regardless, bickering further over their mutual blame for this whole situation would have to wait, as their escapade had once more annoyance added to it in the form of some high pitched buzzing.

Bowser groaned [color=FD0000]”Now what”[/color] at the sound before taking a look for the source of it, and spotting a number of oversized mosquitoes flying through the air. 

[color=FD0000]”Oh, right, more giant bugs, of course”[/color] the king said dismissively, turning back towards the trail around the lake, only to look back when Kamek grabbed the end of his sleeve, tugging it to get his attention. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Wait sire! Look over there, at where they are going!”[/color] the mage urged the king while gesturing over to the slumped over figure on the ground, half hidden among the reeds.

[color=FD0000]”Huh? Is he asleep?”[/color] Bowser assumed incorrectly, before yelling [color=FD0000]”HEY YOU, THAT’S NO PLACE FOR NAPPING! YOUR GONNA GET EATEN BY BUGS!”[/color] which utterly failed to rouse the knocked out fuzzy little guy.

Rubick's strategy meanwhile of just abducting the fellow with telekinesis first, and asking questions later, worked much better, stealing away the mosquitoes meal before they could get to him. Odds were, however, that that wouldn’t deter the bugs, and that they’d keep coming, right towards the lot of them.

[color=FD0000]”Koopa troop, let's blast some bugs!”[/color] Bowser ordered stepping up to form a welcoming party for the insidious insects.

[color=SpringGreen]”Busy!”[/color] Came a call from Jr, presently occupied with the clown situation, while Rika called out [color=Aqua]”Coming!”[/color] as she quickly saddled up onto her cockatrice’s back to ride over.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Just you and me then to start out then sire”[/color] Kamek said, before adding [color=DeepSkyBlue]”and me, and me, and two more on top of that”[/color] jokingly as he conjured up a set of doppelgangers, creating a cadre of drake riding hims to act as fire support.

Clones made, he tossed a red orb to the first three, turning into independent attackers, and then a white orb to the last, turning it into a discount white mage. This fourth directed its wand towards the floating fellow, giving him medical attention via weak but frequent bursts of healing magic while the others, along with Kamek, squared up against the incoming swarm.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Let’s burn them all, shall we?”[/color] he suggested [color=DeepSkyBlue]”maybe the scent of cooked bug will improve the local atmosphere?”[/color]

[color=FD0000]”Now that? That’s a great idea!”[/color] Bowser commended him, before shouting [color=FD0000]”Get roasted!”[/color] at the insects, prompting all five of them to unleash a burning hell upon them. 

Fireballs began flying, the king blasting out with massive wrecking ball sized ones that were as much slow moving environmental hazards as they were attacks due to their lethargic flight though the sky. Meanwhile, Kamek and his 3 red hued doppelgangers waved their wands and unleashed volleys of fast moving flame blasts spells using the Fire Materia at the tip of their wands, the Grimoire of Ruin at the mage’s side glowed as it empowered his minions . 

Rika dashed in a few moments later, and though she lacked her own firepower due to ammo shortages, her new Kamek provided steed allowed her to get in on the shooting gallery action. 

Though the oversized [url=https://64.media.tumblr.com/9912a29044260a7395115e25e6acba92/tumblr_inline_pb02neKtR61qkvi0e_540.gif]chicken-drake hybrid[/url] with its useless wings, pink scaly skin and rooster head looked ridiculous, one baleful glare proved looks could be deceiving. Twin headlamps of illuminating power blasting bug after bug as Rika fired the construct’s doom gaze again and again at their foes. Worse for their foes, the closer the mosquitos got, the tighter the beam hitting them got, and the more likely it got that the blasts would petrify their target, causing them to stiffly fall into the water to succumb to the murk.  


Adding to all that, should against all the odds any of the bitty bugs manage to get anywhere close to the shoreline, well, then Bowser would switch to his flame breath, barbecuing bugs with great swaths of air clearing flame.

Suffice to say that, with Rubick’s swift action freeing them up to fire instead of having to have someone rush over to mount a rescue, it would take a real miracle or external intervention for a single bug to get into attack range. Or at least that’s what the ever confident troop thought, which was why jr was happy to leave them to it while he focused on the mystery of the clowns.