"AQUA!"
The damp castle hall ran clear with James' proclamation, his hands tingling before a mighty spout of water that weaved and undulated like a snake.  Kammy watched from the side, intrigued to see where James was going with this.  The moisture of the air further cloistered into the liquid serpent, bubbles wriggling through its clear-blue texture before James roared out:
	"MAELSTROM!"
With a powerful word, the wind soon picked up around him, swirling from his body to spin straight towards the water like a miniature tornado.  As water and wind soon met, a fierce storm brewed before them, a blinding rain within a single focused area that any fisherman would despise being caught in.  The howling gale formed stronger and stronger, flecks of rain lashing across the stone walls like scraping daggers before FG dispelled it, spreading his hands out to cease the storm.  Water fell, wind disappeared, as a large puddle remained.
	"VERY good James!" cried Kammy.  "Your control has been improving greatly over the past year!"
	"Heh, thanks ma'am."
	"How are you doing with the Scirocco spell I taught you?"
	"Kinda still off on that, I keep snuffing the fire out with the wind and all I get is warm wind, nothing real blazing hot you know."
	"It does take some time to balance the two I admit.  But your Maelstrom spell was marvellous!"
	"Yeah...hey, I got a question."
	"Yes?"
Kammy busily conjured up a fire spell to dissipate the puddle left behind, clearing it away to leave warm damp stone.
	"How come I can't summon water in the desert?  'cause, I tried that once, long time back, all I get is a little drip down my arm."
	"Hmmm...fascinating.  Yet here you can summon it all?"
	"Yeah."
	"Do you get only a drip of water anywhere else?"
	"Nope, just deserts."
	"Hmmmm...perhaps your magic is more aligned towards geomancy, one rather sensitive to the elements around you.  My only guess is that due to the lack of moisture in a desert, you cannot summon enough water from the vapid air to do so.  Whereas here or anywhere else, there's enough moisture to summon a great influence!"
	"But...we're in a volcano."
	"This is a wet heat James, not a dry heat.  Humidity is still here, plus the condensation of these cold stone walls add greatly to that."
	"Ohhhh..."
	"You must take care to note your environment when casting spells in future then.  Understand thy environment to know what sort of magic will be most effective.  Speaking of which, have you considered using ice?"
	"I tried it once or twice, not a great fan of it.  I just get shivers and it just shatters all over the place, fire is way quicker in burning and scarring you know."
	"Oh ho yes, I understand clearly, ho ho ho!  Very well then.  I believe we are done here, you may go."
James soon left the class and headed off towards the orange exit pipe back home.  Before he did however, he noted a rather odd painting amongst the many rows of the great King of the Koopas.  While all of them had various angular shots of his red-haired orange-scaled Majesty, this one had a different-looking reptile king.  A pure green one of thick arms, crocodilian snout and the top of a yellow belly.  Kammy was nearby and noted his gaze.
	"Intrigued by that one are you?"
	"Yeah...who's this guy?"
	"Ho ho ho...would you believe that's meant to be Bowser?"
	"...uh...well I...I don't see-"
	"Of course not, because he doesn't look anything like that!  See, he has someone paint him every year, the entire history of a king with every year of his life shown in portraits.  Trouble is one artist we had was...a little blind."
	"...a blind painter?  Seriously?"
	"Not totally blind, but blind enough that he couldn't make out what colour he was.  He did his best to paint him, and...I have admit, he drew a handsome feller."
	"Well, a guy like him I'd be thinking about for a while in bed, for sure."
	"Hoh hoh, well everyone else liked it too, can't diss a guy who got talent, so His Royal Vileness called it a special commission and let it hang up on the wall."
	"Well, he's sure got good taste."
	"Of course."

The next day, James was working at Roy's bar, waiting for Koopin to come in for a drink to relax when finished with Toad-Kwon-Do.  James' new boss, Yonny, was still managing the bar, and it pleased Koopin to see his boyfriend do something productive to his skills.  The customers were far more regular ever since the disbanding of the Koopa Knights, and in turn the Black Scars.  For that, Yonny was eternally grateful to the two of them.  Koopin arrived with a rather glum look, somewhat frustrated as he sat down at the bar.
	"Hey Koopin," greeted James.
	"Hey...can I get a cider?"
	"Sure...you alright?"
	"Yeah yeah just uh...kind of a rough session today."
	"Awww what happened?"
James listened while he turned away to get a drink, grabbing a bottle of Superstar Cider.
	"Well, I was trying to do this footpin move where you pin a guy's foot and shove him down, but I dunno what I keep doing wrong!  I just...I can't seem to get the right force behind it and he's always able to stand his ground.  But they always shove ME though."
He rubbed his arm in reflex, which James saw as being rather bruised.  He gave him a glass of cider and received some coins for payment.
	"You just gotta figure it out piece by piece man, there were a lot of moves I struggled with when I was training."
	"Yeah?  Like what?"
	"Well...yanno I was never great at foot pins either actually, I hated those.  I just wanna smack them down and kick their faces in, or kick their legs out or something."
	"Well I need to learn as many moves as I can, gotta count for all situations you know."
	"Right..."
	"When do you get off?"
	"About an hour, you can hang here and we can talk."
	"Alrighty."
The two chatted for a while inbetween James' serving of customers at the bar and the tables beyond.  At this point he had memorised the drinks perfectly well, to the point that he just had to glance at the label colour before knowing what it was.  His sense of smell, finely attuned to alcohol, was also coming in handy for two reasons.  Firstly, it helped him keep glasses apart so no contamination between drinks would occur.  Secondly, he was able to stop anyone from spiking other people's drinks, which only happened once or twice, but which he nevertheless prevented.
To this end, Yonny gave him quite the freedom over the bar as a trusted friend and associate, though James always made certain to not overstep with the other senior members of staff.  He knew the unspoken laws of the bartending world.  Eventually, his shift was over, and he was able to go home with Koopin.  But somewhere around the dockside area, as the waves casually lapped against the stone shore, they were soon startled by a rough slobbery voice from behind.
	"Hey, uh..."
James turned halfway, already annoyed at the interruption as he saw a rough-eyed koopa barely standing straight.  He recognised him from the bar, but he was certain the koopa did not recognise him.
	"Yyyyyeah?"
	"Can ya shpare a dime, kinda hungry an' wanna sleep wi' sumthin' in mah gut."
	"No, I don't, sorry."
	"How 'bout you, got a jangle in yer shhhell?"
	"N-no sorry," said Koopin softly.
	"Yer shure?  Jus' need mebbe five coinsh, ah think-"

The moment the drunk leaned forwards towards Koopin in order to grab him by the shoulder, James had his hand on the drunkard's wrist and pushed him up against a wall.  James' eyes glared with a growing anger as his voice turned to a growl.
	"DON'T...touch him."
	"Wh-whussup man, ah wuz jus'-"
	"We don't have anything.  You should have thought about your money before you got drunk, now get.  Lost."
	"James!"
Koopin stood up and warned him with stern eyes, the raptor tenderly pushing the drunk koopa back before Koopin explained:
	"I'm sorry, we don't have any change, you need help getting back to the Toad House?"
	"N-nah nah ahm good, ah know mah way back thur, jush'...jusht uh...yeah..."
	"Sorry sir, sleep well."
As the drunk waddled off through the town, Koopin looked up towards James with an incredulous stare.
	"...what?"
	"Wh-what the heck was that?!"
	"He was gonna grab you, you dunno what he might have done!"
	"He's just a harmless guy wanting change, you didn't have to grab him and push him around like that, you could have hurt him!"
	"Well better I hurt him than he hurts you, even if he doesn't mean it."
	"...let's just go home okay?"
	"Okay...sorry."
He murmured his apology as quietly as possible, with Koopin heading back home as James followed behind with uncertainty.  He started to regret his defensive action, wanting to explain but he decided not to push it any further as Koopin tried to forget the minor incident.  He knew James was extremely protective of him, but he worried that his protectiveness would sometimes go too far.
He knew this all too well, and it only became harder to forget when James said on the way home:
	"Least I didn't leave a mark on him."
	"Oh, is that REALLY any better?!"
	"OKAY fine forget it."
	"No no no no no, YOU brought it up, I was just trying to forget this, just like I was trying to forget that time outside the 1.2.8-"
	"OH MY GOD, are you NEVER gonna let that go?!  It was dark, I couldn't see him, he sounded angry!"

Koopin stopped and turned with a tightened beak and hard eyes.  The smallest part of James' mind couldn't help but find him adorable even when angry, even if the raptor was too angry himself to care.
	"You punched that goomba, into a trashcan, that's NO excuse!  You actively WALKED UP TO HIM, and then LITERALLY punched him into the trash, what the HECK, James!"
	"He was an asshole!"
	"James!"
	"You heard what he said, he was insulting you!"
	"He was just a punk!  He wasn't even gonna fight, YOU hit him first, he didn't even try!"
	"He might have, if I let him!"
	"Okay, fine, whatever, you're sleeping on the couch tonight."
	"Fine..."
James waited until Koopin was far away enough to not hear him curse, unsuccessfully.
	"Fuck's sake."
	"JAMES!"
	"SHUT UP, I'll talk any way I fucking want, nobody gives a shit Koopin!"
	"I do!  I KNOW what those words mean now, so DON'T use them around me!"
	"What the fuck ever."
	"STOP IT!"
The two argued all the way home with sour spirits, Koopin slamming his bedroom door as James slept on the couch in a huff.  Burying his head into the cushions with a spare blanket over him, he dropped off into a miserable sleep.  Koopin took a while to fall asleep, staring up at the ceiling with frustration in his mind, wanting to try and sort his problems out.
Bad enough I keep screwing up in Toad-Kwon-Do, thought Koopin to himself, now James has to act like a jerk.  Why is he always like this, why can't he just...no, I know why he's like that.  I just wish I knew how to make him so...less protective of me, he's like a rabid chain-chomp at a mailman!  He doesn't mean it, he just wants to keep me safe!  ...wait...that's it!  Next session I'll go and ask, they mentioned something that sounded good!
With enthusiasm revived, he dropped off to sleep with a slightly happier mood, waiting for the next dojo session.

A few days later, Koopin was finishing up at the dojo.  After class was over, he cautiously approached the old toad with a humble gaze, and bowed.
	"Um...Master?"
	"Ah, yes Koopin?"
	"I...have something to ask you."
	"Yes?  Is it about your training?"
	"Well...kind of.  See...I wanted to ask about something...the tournament."
	"Oh?  Do you think you have the potential to enter it?"
	"Well..."
	"...you seem troubled.  Is something wrong?"
	"Do you...think I'm good enough to enter it?"
	"Now that is not a question you should be asking with unconfidence.  Your humility is appreciated but you do not sound as if you want to."
	"Maybe I should explain.  See, I want to prove to someone that I'm stronger than he thinks I am.  But I want to do it in a way I know how, with this dojo."
	"Oh?"
	"Yeah.  This is gonna sound silly."
	"Please, tell me."
The Master stood patiently so without any inclination of hurry, waiting to hear Koopin's dilemma.
	"Okay.  My boyfriend is...really protective of me, right?  He gets like, really aggressive with other people who come near me or try to get at me, and he knows that I been training with you for a few years, but I feel like he doesn't think I CAN protect myself.  I want to prove to him that he doesn't have to worry about me, to stop being so worried all the time and being so aggressive with other people because he's worried about me getting hurt."
	"And you believe that is the problem?"
	"I KNOW it is.  When in the dojo it's fine, he knows I'm just training.  But out there, he thinks everyone's out to get me, and if I just show to him that I can handle myself, then maybe he can relax for once and work out his problems better without worrying about me."
	"...that is quite a dilemma, Koopin.  And you believe that the way to this inner peace with your love is through strengthening yourself?"
	"That's why I'm asking about the tournament.  But I dunno if I'm good enough for that, I want to prove myself to him."
	"Hmmm...do you want to enter this tournament?"
	"I feel I need to."
	"That is not answering my question."
	"...not...really."
	"Then that is not the way to go."
The Master shook his head firmly with Koopin's crestfallen look.  An idea however came to him.
	"But...there is another option I can provide to you.  But first I must test you, and see how your skills are."
	"Y-yeah?"
	"Chan!"

From a backroom came the buzzy beetle with the ponytail, his stern eyes gazing high up towards his master.
	"Yes Master?"
	"We have a student here who wishes to strengthen himself...I believe we need to gauge his skill properly in order to estimate him."
	"...I agree.  If you want to prove your strength so much, then you have to challenge me."
	"Y-you?!" splurted Koopin.
	"Yes.  After we have fought, then we can see where your true skills lie."
	"O-okay.  I want to prove myself.  Please, Master, let me prove myself!"
	"Very well!  Stand towards the centre of the floor.
Koopin did so, walking over to the very middle of the dojo floor as Chan followed him.  His ponytail stayed smoothly on his shell, his size belying a greater strength and skill.  Koopin tried not to underestimate him, knowing that he was one of the Master's personal disciples for a reason.  Lee was absent on this day, which did not help the koopa any further as Chan proclaimed:
	"Are you ready, Koopin?!"
	"Y-yeah!"
	"Then show me what you got!  I want to see what you've learned, and to utilise it against me!  BEGIN!"
The buzzy beetle readied himself to charge, as Koopin went into his fighting stance.  One foot back with both hands before him, a fist at face height, and another turned upwards at his waist.  Seeing Chan lurch forwards, Koopin readily dodged and tried to kick at the shell to push him away, but he was too sturdy and merely resisted the blow.  In return, Chan slammed his shell upwards into Koopin's foot, knocking him over onto his back.
The koopa quickly got up however, rolling to his side and trying to sweep the leg.  Chan backed away in time, the boot skimming across his vision as he charged forwards once again, aiming for Koopin's belly.  The attack was anticipated however, and Koopin readily made a spinning kick attack, using his momentum of dodging to keep his balance strong.  A boot to the head was Chan's reward, knocking him hard and backwards.

The buzzy beetle fell onto his back, but soon rolled himself back upright, chuckling with approval and a bruised face.
	"Hah, not bad!  But you haven't met Chan the Man!"
Once again he made his charge, but despite Koopin dodging once more, Chan had a trick up his sleeve, or rather his hair.  Whipping out his ponytail, he struck against Koopin's leg, swinging it around like a rope in order to trip him up.  Koopin stumbled back unexpectantly, and readily received a shell to the face as Chan snapped towards him like a tetherball.  His beak was bruised badly, as his vision turned blurry from the blow.  But he stood firm nevertheless, his stance a little shaky as he tried to focus.
Seeing the opportunity, Chan spun himself towards the koopa, twirling with ponytail slinging around the top of his shell like a rotorblade.  It didn't make him fly, but it certainly proved itself to be dangerous when it wrapped around Koopin's leg once again, and tripped him up once more.  He fell onto his arm, grunting in pain before he kicked out hard towards Chan.  A sweeping kick helped keep the beetle away, giving Koopin time to get up.
Chan now began to combine his moves, leaping forwards while spinning insanely forwards, his ponytail swinging violently like a propeller.  But Koopin was no longer fooled, remembering how to deal with spinning attacks as a koopa.  He quickly turned and bared his shell, before shouldercharging backwards straight into the flying beetle.  It was successful enough to knock him away without getting tangled, but Chan had a backup maneuver.
Falling onto his back, he built enough momentum from the fall to end up spinning in a circle, streaking across the polished floor like a spinning top as his shell spun crazily around the room.  Koopin wasn't able to register his speed quick enough, as the buzzy beetle smacked straight into the back of his foot, knocking him down once again.  Chan rebounded off a wall and spun straight towards Koopin's vulnerable face.

He couldn't remember quick enough on how to deal with such an enemy by the time his face collided with hard shell, bruising his eye hard as he cried out.  Chan rebounded once more, ready to strike once more, but this time the koopa had a plan.  He quickly ducked his head into his own shell, turning swiftly around inside with a surprisingly natural flexibility only koopas possessed, and kicked his foot straight out where his head once was.
Chan was surprised, the foot sending powerful vibrations through his shell as he was kicked away hard into a corner, giving Koopin enough time to get up swiftly into combat ready mode.  He was bruised and sore, but he wasn't going to stop with an opportunity at last.  Chan kept spinning away upside down like a pinball, striking back and forth while trying to hit Koopin, until the koopa had his own plan ready.
Remembering how strong his shell actually was, he kicked himself off of the dojo wall and readily spun into his shell, streaking across the floor after pushing himself from the wall.  His larger shell combined with enough speed was enough to crack against Chan, sending him against the wall at an odd angle to knock his senses out.  Koopin had a little problem stopping however, and ended up nearly the same way, panicking as he hit the wall with him.
But the battle had been won.  Chan was dazed and almost conscious, while Koopin was merely wounded and stumbling with sore limbs.  The Master nodded with satisfaction.
	"Impressive," he said.  "And you say you doubt your skill?"
	"I-i-uh...um...s-sorry, Chan sir."
The buzzy beetle did not reply, merely too stunned to do so as he crawled off to recuperate from the hard blow.  The Master approached Koopin, smiling at his student.
	"You managed to beat Chan using your own natural skills as a koopa.  That is impressive, and you clearly show diligence in both learning and patience from your studies.  But not enough for me to estimate you."
	"Wh-what?"
	"I must see how you handle yourself as a true fighter.  But we must wait until Lee returns from his studies.  I will inform him of your wishes, and we will arrange a time to test you.  But first."
The Master opened a box near the dojo doors and carefully picked out a certificate.  It read:

This certificate authorised by the Toad Town Dojo
marks this person as a First-Degree student
May the Stars bless him with strength and wisdom

A name was left blank underneath this, with Koopin's eyes turning wide with amazement.
	"I-i...I get a certificate?!"
	"Only to those who best me or my disciples.  Beating Chan will earn you a First Degree Card.  Beating Lee will earn you the Second Degree."
	"W-wow...I...I didn't know about that."
	"I do not mention it to many, unless they are strong.  I only mentioned it to you since you beat Chan yourself."
	"Oh...will he be okay?"
	"His pride will take time to recover, but he will learn and his wounds will heal.  You should return home and reflect on what you have learned.  I will hand you the certificate next session when I have personalised it."
	"R-really?!  Thank you Master!"
With a swift and humble bow, Koopin returned home while clutching his head, a throbbing headache now waking up after the adrenaline of the fight had died off.  He was also reeling from the fact he had been given a mark of strength, a certificate of championship.  He tried not to let it go to his head, despite respecting Chan highly along with the Master.  In truth, he only won because of his advantage as a koopa.  He suspected that Lee, in future, would not be as easy to deal with.
Returning home with James after meeting up with him at Roy's, he knew nothing of Koopin's plan despite asking:
	"What the hell happened to you?!"
	"Uhhh just a tough session, I think I did real good today!"
	"I sure hope so, god your eye looks..."
	"I-it's fine really, don't worry about it."
The look of discontent was clear upon the raptor's face, his doubts only surfacing at Koopin's sorry state.
	"Mmmmnnngh...I don't want you pushing yourself too hard Koopin."
	"I'm not, this is just-we had a real intense combat training tonight, that's all!"
	"Well...just...be careful."
James gently stroked the koopa's face, taking care not to touch the bruised eye.
	"I don't want to see your cute little face get all bruised."
	"Haha, awwww...really I'm fine, just-OW!"
	"OH, shit sorry!"
He didn't touch Koopin again until they reached home, soothing the bruises with some iodine as Koopin went straight to bed with exhaustion.  His body was bruised all over, but his spirit was warm with pride, as James joined him soon enough in bed, his lover's warmth soothing him further.