46AN: No, Split Mindset is not finished yet. I still have about three chapters to go on that one. However, seeing how I was in the homestretch with it, I decided that I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. So, here is Crossover Conundrum.
Chapter 1 Shifting Spirits
Iggy was in a fine state of euphoria on this particular day. Little laughs were escaping from his throat like hiccups as he sat at his computer in his room, and his eyes were dilated in excitement. He had done it, he had finally done it!
"Hey, Lemmy!" Iggy called to his older brother as he was skipping down the hallway. "Come in here!"
Lemmy entered almost immediately. He was smiling, but that wasn't an unusual expression to be seen on the face of the shortest Koopaling.
"What do you want, Iggster?" Lemmy asked. Iggy let out another round of giddy giggles.
"I have done it, Lems. I finally did it!" he exclaimed.
"What? What did you do?" Lemmy asked. "Did you invent a shrink ray?"
"Nope! I did something even better than that! Something that you are going to be very proud of me for!"
Lemmy's eyes grew wide in excitement.
"Oh my goodness! Did you finally fix my circus ball?"
"Uhh, well…."
Lemmy didn't wait to let Iggy finish his sentence. Instead he let out a squeal of delight, one that sounded eerily similar to a teapot filled with boiling water. He started to jump up and down. For someone of such short stature, he jumped incredibly high, almost as if he were on the moon.
"I knew it! I knew that you would finally fix it! Iggy, you're the best brother ever."
Iggy chuckled. For a second, he considered not even correcting Lemmy. Then he realized that what he actually did was still bound to get a positive reaction out of Lemonade.
"Uh, actually Lemmy," Iggy said as he put on a smile. "I got us tickets to go see a movie!"
Lemmy stopped bouncing up and down and stared at Iggy with a blank expression.
"Oh," he said. "So you didn't fix my ball?"
"No, I have not." Iggy looked at Lemmy with a nervous smile. "I'm still the best brother ever though, right?"
There was a moment of silence. Lemmy still stared at Iggy with the same blank expression. In all honesty, the sudden shift in mood really made Iggy uncomfortable. Finally, Lemmy spoke up.
"Sure," he said. Then the smile slowly returned to his lips. "What movie did you get us tickets for?"
"That's the best part!" Iggy exclaimed. "It's Shifting Spirits!"
"Shifting Spirits!?" Lemmy ran up to Iggy, staring at him with the expression a little kid would wear if their favorite cartoon character had just come to life. "As in the academy award winning, critically acclaimed, audience wooing movie of the year!? THAT Shifting Spirits?"
"That's the one!" Iggy said. "I got the tickets from a scalper...oh, I mean, seller online!"
Lemmy let out a whoop of delight. He then started to do a little jig.
"That is awesome, Iggy! The seven of us are going to go see Shifting Spirits!"
Iggy's face fell, and his heart sank a little.
"Ooh, yeah...about that."
Lemmy stopped dancing and stared at Iggy.
"What is it now?" he asked a little apprehensively. Iggy chuckled again.
"Uh, I only got three tickets."
"WHAT! THREE?!"
Iggy had to put his hand to his ear to stop the ringing. He nodded apologetically.
"Yes. I am so sorry, Lemmy."
Lemmy looked so dejected that it was a little disheartening to Iggy. He got up from his chair and patted the little Koopa on the head. His mohawk sprung up and down as Iggy laid his hand on it.
"I wanted to go with everyone," Lemmy said.
"Yeah, I know Lemmy; I did too," Iggy said. "It's just that the...seller demanded a lot of money. He was selling the tickets for one thousand coins a piece!"
Lemmy looked up at Iggy in shock.
"Are you really serious!" When Iggy nodded, Lemmy's expression shifted to one of anger. "Well, no wonder you could only get three." He looked up at the ceiling and waved his fist in the air. "Curse you, seller!"
Iggy laughed.
"Precisely! Curse you, seller!"
"Curse you seller!" Lemmy shouted. "Curse you and your phony black mask that I picture you wearing for some reason!"
Iggy couldn't help but laugh at that. Even when he was in a bad mood, Lemmy was no stranger to telling jokes. Lemmy laughed right alongside him. The duo sounded way happier than any koopa had any right to be.
"Well," Lemmy finally said. "You said you got three tickets, yes?"
"Yes," Iggy said. "That would leave two for you and me with one leftover."
Lemmy's eyes sparkled.
"And I know exactly who we should give the ticket to!"
…
Despite the fact that it was almost ten o'clock, Morton was still sound asleep in his bed. His cat, Toasty, was resting by his feet, and his chain chomp, Wiggles, was resting right underneath his arms. The only one who was awaking was the parrot Topaz, who had enough respect for Morton to let him snooze.
The door slowly opened, allowing Lemmy and Iggy to enter the room. They tried to tiptoe as slowly and as quietly as they could over to Morton's bed. They would have succeeded if it weren't for Topaz.
"Intruder alert!" Topaz screeched at the top of her voice. "Intruder alert!"
Morton stirred and sat up in bed. His eyes glazed over his two older brothers, for he was not fully awake enough yet to fully appreciate their presence. Iggy and Lemmy smiled.
"Hey, buddy," Iggy said softly.
Slowly, Morton's face broke out into a smile.
"Hey guys," he said softly. He let out a yawn, and Iggy did the same. Once he was done, he groaned.
"Darn it Morton, don't make me so tired so early in the day!"
Morton chuckled as he got out of bed. He went over to his closet and got out a bag of cat food. He poured it into Toasty's bowl. The crunchy brown niblets sounded like hailstones as they landed in the lustrous, shiny bowl.
"So, Morton, how was your day yesterday?" Iggy asked.
"It was fine," Morton said. Iggy raised an eyebrow.
"Are you answering that honestly?"
Morton turned toward Iggy and Lemmy. Recently, the Koopalings had discovered that Morton had depression, which caused him to isolate himself from his siblings and to suppress his emotions. Iggy wanted Morton to be more open with the others, as he knew that was the first step in Morton's recovery.
"Yes, I am," Morton said. He smiled, displaying his slightly yellowing teeth. "I got to watch a new episode of Rainbow Mare, and I got to make a crepe du chocolat for the first time. So, I thought yesterday was a good day, through and through."
Iggy smiled.
"Marvelous!" he said. "That is a satisfactory assessment of your inner feelings, Morton. I am glad to hear it."
Suddenly, Lemmy approached Morton. He stared up into his brother's starbite marked face with jubilation.
"Hey Morton, do you want to go see Shifting Spirits?" he asked.
"Oh, you know I would Lems," Morton responded, "But ticket sales are almost over."
Iggy grinned.
"Oh really? Well if that was the case, how was I able to get three new tickets for each of us?"
Morton's eyes grew wide.
"You did?"
"Yep!" Iggy exclaimed. Morton smiled.
"Then what are we waiting around here for? Let's get going!"
…
The three Koopalings walked their way down the gritty sidewalk. While the landscape of the Koopa Kingdom was dark and dead, the sky was bursting with blue. Morton took in a deep breath, allowing the atmosphere to seep into his soul.
"Oh man, I love days like this," he said nostalgically.
"Me too!" Lemmy exclaimed. "Especially when you are going to go see an awesome movie!"
Iggy chuckled lightly. Then he stopped, his eyes directed up at the sky.
"What in the Mushroom World is that?"
Morton and Lemmy looked upward. In the sky, they could see a glowing green vortex.
"I don't know," Morton said nervously. "It looks a little dangerous."
"Uh, guys?"
Iggy and Morton gasped when they turned toward their brother. Lemmy was starting to rise into the air, straight toward the vortex.
"Oh no!" Iggy exclaimed. He grabbed hold of Lemmy's ankle, but that did very little to help. He started to rise into the air as well. "Morton, help!"
Morton grabbed hold of Iggy's ankle, and for a second that seemed to do the trick. That was until Morton started to rise into the air. Then with a burst of speed, the three Koopalings were sucked into the vortex.
