OCs introduced in this chapter:

Princess Lavender belongs to my sister.

Mari belongs to her namesake.

Bella belongs to... you know who you are.

"Meine Schafe

Dumme Tieren sind sie alle

Auf mein Wort, werden sie gerne

Von einer Klippe fallen

Kein Hirn, keine Gedanken

Sie sind des Radios Sklaven

Sie sind Idioten Bestien

Sie alles sind...

MEINE SCHAFE!"

The entire stadium at the Game Guy Resort and Casino cheered at the first live performance of the single that had reached number one on the charts over a month ago, even though very few of them understood the lyrics. Dressed in a silken dark blue cape and suit with a cravat studded with a blue turquoise cabochon, Ludwig jerked maniacally while playing the giant pipe organ her requested to be installed at a great expense in the stadium. Smirking at the rabid reaction of the followers he had amassed in such a brief time, he took a bow and retreated to his dressing room.

An enormous gift basket, filled with chocolates, coffee beans, and telltale lavender blossoms awaited him. Ludwig gaped at it for a few seconds before being grabbed from behind in a skinny-armed Princess's hug.

"LUDDY! Congratulations on your success! I hope you like the gift basket. I hand-painted the coffee mug, see, that's Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata I wrote on it!"

Ludwig turned around to see Princess Daisy's bespectacled cousin, Princess Lavender, accompanied by a goth-looking female Koopa.

"This is my friend Bella. Bella, meet Ludwig. Luddy and I have been pals since Kindergarten!" Lavender blushed. She had had an enormous crush on Ludwig ever since, even after being pulled out of the Mushroom Kingdom Academy to be homeschooled. Bella's face lit up; clearly she now was a groupie of Ludwig's too.

"Whoa... YOU ROCK! Lavy here listens to you all the time, I thought you just did that lame classical stuff but this new stuff you're doing, man, whoa..."

"I love the classical mixed with Neue Deutsche Härte influences," said Lavender, beaming. "And the fact that the lyrics are condescending and most of the listeners have no clue is pretty funny."

Bella nodded. "Lavy translated the lyrics. Deep, man. Deep..."

Lavender went on, "When I first heard it come on the radio, I thought, 'Oh my, what a marvelous tune! It sounds like a work of Luddy's!' and then I heard your voice and I SQUEED, I knew it was you from the start!"

"Ludwig, baby, are these ladies bothering you?" rang Larry's voice from the back entrance.

Ludwig nodded. "Kindly escort them to the exit."

"That won't be necessary, we just came to shower the rising star with gifts and praise, now we will be on our way..." Lavender took Bella's hand and ran off, both of them squeeing.

Larry strutted in, wearing shades and what appeared to be a new jacket, a pretty young Koopa lady on his arm. "Well, congrats, bro. You got groupies now. That's got to feel pretty sweet."

"So long as they keep their distance," Ludwig growled as he sat down to his mirror, a Paratroopa stylist beginning to fixed his hair.

"They brought you gift baskets, man. Get used to it. There are a lot more of these to come."

Larry elbowed the gift basket, sending it sliding toward Ludwig. He wasn't going to turn down a basket whose spoils included a coffee mug filled with Mozartkugeln and a bag of 100% Delfino full city roast; the younger Sarasaland princess knew his tastes all too well.

Larry kissed the Koopa lady. "Bro, I'd like you to meet Mari. We're seeing each other now."

Ludwig grunted, the Paratroopa now patting makeup over his face. His mind was on a song he was currently composing.

"K, now let's talk business. You've got five more shows this month. Next Friday, you're opening for Emilie Koopa at Klub Koopa Resort, and I would like you to unleash your next single there. I have been looking over the songs you submitted for your first album... good, all very impressive... I've decided that 'Schlampe' will be your next single. Thing is, I want you to translate it into English. I mean, a few foreign songs is cool, but you don't want to completely alienate your fans, you know what I'm saying?"

Ludwig nodded. He was slightly annoyed at having to listen to Larry while under the spell of inspiration. He was all done with the songs for the upcoming first album and well ahead of schedule in the work planned for the second album; the current object of his preoccupation was being created for the sole purpose of pleasure and passion.

"Uh, HELLO, I need you to translate it NOW, Klub Koopa is in less than a WEEK, and I need it translated ASAP so you can then get your tuckus straight to work on rehearsal, may I repeat, you have less than ONE WEEK to rehearse. CHOP CHOP!"

Ludwig seethed in annoyance. "You will have nothing until I have been properly recaffeinated," he snapped. "Fetch me an espresso machine. Chop chop!"

"As you wish, mister Superstar. Oh and I will need you to translate a few more of these too, the album is scheduled to hit stores in less than two months, so you had better be prepared to do a lot of studio work this week!"

Ludwig sighed. It had been over a month since he had last written or played a song purely for enjoyment. Every time he had set a date to do so, he found out almost as soon as the day had come that Larry had set other plans for that date.

Chalk up one more brilliant composition to be flitted out of existence as fast as it had flitted into Ludwig's mind.