Role Play Pool Party!

She had to admit to herself, this was exciting. Crystal had never seen a king sworn in before. She smiled and got out of the throne, moving to the side of the red carpet just to the left of the throne. "I think you'll do fine", she said to Orinda, giving him a pat on the back. "You wouldn't be given this opportunity if they didn't believe you could do it."

She brushed a hand through her hair, making sure she was ready to witness the event.

He took one last deep breath as he took a quick glance at Clive. Walking through the red door he stopped at the red koopa troopa armor that was resting just to the side of the doorway. He thought to himself, here we go old friend, the empire was being passed along to a new leader. He continued to walk, moving around the large fire pit and stopped in front of the red carpet that led to the king's throne.

He stood there, watching Orinda while he continued to be in his thoughts. He could tell Orinda was nervous about all this too, he couldn't imagine why he wouldn't be.. this was probably the biggest moment in his entire life as it was for Xiuhcoatl and possibly the rest of the Koopa empire. He kept his hand firmly on the magic wand as he took another breath and continued to walk down the red carpet. The walk down that carpet seemed to take forever, he saw pictures of the past in front of him and along the walls of the throne room.. he then thought to the present. They could not do anything about what happened to the land in the past or the abandonment of the Koopa Empire by Bowser, they had to rebuild and repair with the new king in the present and in the future keep the Empire from falling into that condition again.

Finally arriving at the end of the carpet and in front of the throne, he looked to Orinda and smiled. "Orinda Tarsa, dragon.. please, bow down on one knee." He began to hold the magic wand over the head of the dragon.

He had been hurt. He had been lost. He had been outcast.

But even if I must leave this story, Chugami thought as he peeked discreetly into the throne room from the hallway, stealthy watching the ceremony, this is one chapter of it I dare not miss.

Clive suddenly looked at Xiuchoatl and what he was about to do.

"Wait, I thought only Bowser could sworn in a new king like that," he said surprised. "Who are you? No ordinary koopa troopa would be allowed to do that."

He looked up at Xiuhcoatl nervously as he got down on one knee. He felt himself about ready to sneeze but he put a claw under his nose. Sharing a quick glance to Crystal and Clive, he kept his head bowed down low.

He glanced to Clive, looking a little annoyed to be interupted in the middle of a ceremony. "How can Bowser swear in a king if he's not here?", he whispered to him. "Somebody has to do it."

Then turning his attention back to Orinda, he tapped the end of the wand onto Orinda's left shoulder. "Honor, which you will show to the Koopas and through yourself." Tapping his wand onto the right shoulder of Orinda, he spoke again. "Respect, for the land that is our home and for everything and everyone in the Koopa Empire and within your own abilities and morals that a Koopa King must uphold." Then gently placing the end of the wand on the dragon's head, he whispered just loud enough where the room could hear. "Power, to change the world around you with it and to dominate anybody who tries to defeat or defy us."

Looking to Crystal, he smilied for a moment and then turned to Orinda again. Placing the tip of his wand onto the wings on his back, he spoke once more. "A koopa is not only measured by the color of his shell, but measured by his heart, pride and loyalty towards himself and to the Empire's members and to all of those he respects around him." The wand began to glow a bright green as he held it against the wings of the dragon, shooting off a green flame, it hit the dragon underneath the wings with a sudden blast as a koopa shell began to form there. It was a dark red shell, with three spikes forming down the middle of it. He pulled the wand away from the dragon and put it back into his shell.

"King Orinda Tarsa", he said, with a sense of pride. "The Koopa Empire is now under your leadership. Welcome to our home, Your koopaness." He bowed in deep respect in front of the new king.

Clive was a bit confused at Xiuchoatl's statement. Surely Bowser would have to give permission for this so-called ceronomy to take place. He was after all the official king and only he could decide who is king or not. But he didn't say anything. Instead he bowed down before Orinda then quickly shouted,

"Hail King Orinda."

In his hiding spot, Chugami took off his straw hat and held it in front of him. "Love live the king," he whispered to no one.

Looking up in Xiuhcoatl's eyes with his, he nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Xiuhcoatl", he said as he got back up from his kneeling stance. "I'll honor the Koopa and the Empire to the best that I can do."

He felt around his back with his hands, coming across the shell. It felt awkward, he must admit.. but it was an absolute honor to have it. He turned to those in the throne room and smiled. "It is time to get Dinosaur Land and the Koopa Empire back to life and back to its former glory", he spoke in a loud voice. "We must get started immediately, in the morning." Trying to cover up a yawn, he sat back down on the throne. "It has been a long day for all of us." He looked towards Clive and spoke in his direction. "How well do you know the castle? We need sleeping chambers arranged for everybody here, even Chugami."

She smiled to Orinda and took notice of his newly formed Koopa shell. It was quite nice and it went with his appearance quite beautifully, she thought to herself.

"Congratulations, Your Koopaness.", she said as she curtsied lightly to him. "Welcome home.. bed does seem like a good idea, it had been a very long trip and even longer of a day."

"I know the castle very well. I have lived here for seven years. I have to admit, I don't know every nook and cranny but I do know where the sleeping chambers are and other places," Clive said.

Chugami's ears had perked up at the sound of Orinda saying his name. He was... wanted again?

Orinda nodded and got up from the throne. "Everybody, please follow Clive", he ordered everybody in a loud voice. "Check for any kind of blankets in the linen closets of the chambers, they'll have to do for the night until we can get things back to normal in the castle. I'll look for Chugami, I have a feeling I know where he went."

Taking the brown bag and opening it, he placed the king's crown onto his head. This was it.. he was now king. He had his chance.

Walking towards the doorway, he was off to find Chugami. He had things to discuss with him.

Of course, he and everyone else would find him right outside the door, his pot sitting two paces away.

Clive looked at Xiuchoatl and Crystal and addressed them,

"Okay guys, this is it. Please follow me and I'll guide you safely to your rooms. From this day forward, this will be your home."

He gave Orinda a pat on the shell as he exited the throne room. Exiting into the hallway, he turned to Chugami and looked at him for a moment.

"You're lucky", he said to him in a quiet voice. "King Orinda seems to want you around." Walking down the hallway, he caught up to Clive. Leaning to him, he whispered "Keep an eye on Chugami, I don't want to see him bother the king."

Crystal hurried out of the throne room to catch up with Clive, but stopped as she exited into the hallway. She looked at Chugami and sensed a deep depression from him. Walking over to him, she leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry", she said in a gentle voice. "Things will get better, I am sure of it."

Smiling softly to him, she turned away and hurried after Clive and Xiuhcoatl.

Needless to say, the sudden show of expression caught the Squeek off guard, causing him to blush a little. "T-Thanks."

He watched as she left, accompanying the other two. Well, she was cute, he guessed... but he considered himself already married to his job. Plus, there were already at least three eligible bachelors here, and by "eligible," he meant "same species."

Orinda was the last one to leave the throne room, it seemed a bit ironic in a way. Entering the hallway, he noticed Chugami just a few steps away from the doorway. He looked at his face and wondered what was bothering him. He wouldn't address him here, though.. tomorrow morning would be easier with most of the castle staff gone.

"Hey buddy", he said in a soft voice. "Didn't see you at the ceremony, wish you could of been there." Thinking for a moment, he figured that Chumagi could really use a friend right now. "I can check the closet in the king's chamber for spare sheets if you just want to sleep there with me for the night.", he said thoughtfully.

"We're the two new guys to this world", he said to Chumagi with a toothy smile. "We may as well make the most of it. The offer stands if you want to take it."

Chugami jumped a little at the sudden distraction from his musings over Crystal, but quickly managed to pick up the thread of conversation. "I was right here watching the majority of the time. What storyteller worth his tongue misses a moment of history like the coronation of a new king?"

He considered Orinda's offer for a few moments. "I don't know... Xiuchoatl doesn't seem all that fond of me... Though if you insist, I suppose."

"Oh, Xiuhcoatl", he said with a smile. "He's a tough guy until you get to know him."

Heading back into the throne room, he looked at the door that led to the king's chambers and thought out loud. "This new koopa shell feels weird at first.. it makes me part koopa now, I think."

Opening the door into the chambers, he walked over to the closet and peeked inside. It was huge, he had to admit.. a dragon could really sleep in there. Finding spare sheets on a high shelf to the left side of the closet, he grabbed them and walked back out into the chambers and laid the sheets out.

"Being a king is kind of scary, but I think things will improve."

The Squeek re-shouldered his pot before following the dragon, letting the new king have his conversation with himself. Once in the bedroom, he put his pot back down in a corner, notably as far from the bed as he could get it.

"As long as we don't act like complete idiots, I think everything will turn out alright," he offered.

Clive led Crystal and Xiuchoatl out the throne room and headed left. He went up several floors until he reached the residntial chambers.

"Okay here we are. As you can see, all the rooms are empty right now so take whichever room you like. I'll be taking the same room what I stayed in during Bowser's reign," Clive said as he walked over to his room of choice.

"Good luck guys and long live the king," he said.

"So yeah", Orinda replied as he walked back into the closet. "The floors probably aren't forgiving but we'll get that fixed in the next few days."

Doing a handstand just in front of the hanger bar in the closet, he positioned his tail up and around the bar snugly. Lifting his head about half a foot off the ground, he looked around with a smile. A comfortable bed, at last!

"Alright, crashing", Orinda shouted from the closet to Chugami. "Good night, talk to you in a few hours!"

Not even a few moments later, he was sound asleep hanging upside down off of the hanger bar.

Chugami allowed himself a giggle at the dragon's mannerisms as he leaned himself against his pot. On the road, he had come to find nothing else could make a suitable pillow for him. He settled in and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"Good night, my lord."