[Deleted]

D. Peach had chased after Bowser until she had completely lost track of him. Her plans to talk with him and discuss...things had gone down the drain. For the time being she had decided to head back home and spend time with her beloved son. Her adopted Koopaling RG Bowser Jr. He was a tough kid and although someone his age shouldn't have been dealing with emotional stress- he had bared it like a man and held things together but most of it was for the sake of his mama. She had enough on her plate, and worrying about him wasn't something she wished for. D. Peach had planned, trained, and survived while she waited for things to come together. Collecting info on the location of Bowser was actually harder than she thought it would be. Not everyone was willing and not everyone knew. The princess never gave in and kept going strong until she finally found a trustworthy lead. Leaving home was always saddening especially because of how well it was hidden (which ensured safety) but both the princess and her son knew that they would return in due time.

She had gotten stronger- at least by her standards and although she did not wish to battle Bowser she would gladly take him down this time should he resist talking. Opposed to what some may believe she was not made of hot air, she was pure skin and bone. There was magic running throughout her body yes and a few differences due to the way she arrived on Li but she was more than what most duplicates were. Not even to say she was purely a duplicate she was an original with a truly different story. Just thinking about her origins brought a wave of sadness over her and this was why she needed to speak with Bowser. He may not have been from her world but if there was one person she wanted to rely on besides the Mario Bros. it was him.

With a super jump and a simple twirl of her parasol, D. Peach had floated down to a balcony. It was said Bowser was last seen in the giant manor and here she was. What he was doing here she didn't know but it made quite a suitable setting for conversation.

[Mari]

A giant manor... Something they'd left out was how run down the place looked.l Vandalism, or perhaps the result of too many rowdy koopas fightging inside, had rendered the building ugly and abandoned looking. Yet, life was not difficult to find. A koopa with some bandages around his forehead, medical from the looks of it, gazed out at Dark Peach without any real intent behind his gaze. There was recognition, but no real hostility. The door itself was halfway ripped off its hinges and could not lock, leaving Dark Peach free to enter. The inside was only in mildly better states. Weirdly enough, none of Bowser's henchmen moved to stop Dark peach. They acknowledged her, but didn't so much as ask why she was there. They had their questions, but they were kept silent for some reason. And then, deep in the building, she would finally find her man.

Bowser.

The King of the Koopas sat on a throne of junk, melded together by flame breath. It was a bit of a sad display compared to his castles of old. There were no traps, no armies fit to fight. Half the Koopa Kingdom looked emaciated. They were... having a bad time, and Bowser's brooding lilt reflected this. His head rested upon his claw, his eyes jumping to Dark Peach as she entered. A glimmer of recognition flickered in his eyes, but quickly vanished.

"Before you take another step." Bowser began, gesturing with his free hand to the room around them. "Welcome to my prison." Bowser went on to remark, his disgust apparent on his face. He overtly hated this place. "...So it comes to this. You're gonna make good on those threats. Right in front of what remains of my kigndom!" Bowser added after a moment's hesitation, his temper quickly rising. A few koopas scurried away, realizing something was about to go down.

[Deleted]

The princess was cautious of the surrounding area. It was a bit rundown and that was putting it lightly. RG Bowser Jr. didn't seem to be paying much attention. His eyes were focused more on the bandaged koopa. D. Peach could feel him vibrating- his version of shaking. She did what any mother would do and pulled him closer, hiding his eyes in her chest so he wouldn't have to look. This atmosphere hurt her in ways she could not understand. What was Bowser doing in a place like this? Nothing seemed familiar about it or perhaps she had a bit of amnesia she didn't know about. Whatever the case may be this place looked downright awful and she had found who she was looking for. Her parasol was still in her free hand although she was no longer floating. It was a habit of hers to walk with it up but she found times to break it.

A familiarly deep, baritone voice called out to her and she immediately recognized its owner as she saw them. King Bowser Koopa. She began to twirl her parasol as he spoke- letting her know where exactly she was. His prison as he had called it. Her listening skills were sharp so as his words flowed through her ears her body went cold. This was what was left of his Kingdom.... The parasol in her left hand did not stop twirling but she did swirl around look at her surroundings a bit better. No matter how she looked at it this place looked nothing like the castle she remembered. Then again these were merely partial ruins of what they once were. After another glance around there was a spark of familiarity in certain places but that was all she got. Her attention turned back to Bowser and she smirked, her parasol stopped twirling and she began walking forward.

"Incorrect. Boohoo I say. Boo!" She said mocking the green lipped green bean who had kidnapped her other self about a week or so ago. His anger was well placed but also perhaps misguided. She threw her parasol so hard it shot up into the air sinking itself into the ceiling. "I fight with my parasol. I am nearly defenseless without it. I'm not here to fight you Bowser. I want to talk. Those threats were about as hollow as the dead trees outside of my home."

RG Bowser Jr. turned his head from D. Peach's chest to look at his father...from another world. It struck cords within him deeply and it hurt bad. He didn't say anything because he didn't trust his voice.

[Mari]

"Hruh!" Bowser scoffed rather boldly, followed by a bit of a chuckle. That useless bean was a bit of a loud mouth, and that was coming from Bowser. It hadn't been very hard for him to betray the beanish thief. They'd hardly been allies to begin with. "...You keep saying things I never thought I'd hear leave your mouth." Bowser remarked after a long moment's consideration, rather bewildered. Why would Princess Peach ever want to talk to him? One thing was for certain, though.

He wasn't complaining.

"Next thing I know you'll tell me you want to reconcile our marriage." Bowser began, only for his gaze to snap to Rose Gold Bowser Jr. He'd picked up on what had initially appeared to be a statue moving and staring back at him. "...Is that--my son??" Bowser went on to ask in rather overt bewilderment, his tone shifting into focus rather abruptly. His tone had rather abruptly shifted to reveal a certain softness that he normally didn't enjoy showing off in front of his people. As much as he had the muscle to back his reputation up--at least as far as these koopas were concerned--he didn't enjoy having to remind people he was big, tough and spooky.

[Deleted]

The princess chuckled along with the large fire breathing Koopa. It was nice to hear him laugh over anything yet it prodded at the wounds in her heart. The memories of her own Bowser flooding her vision every time she looked at him but she didn't let that pain show. "I wouldn't be opposed to marriage," the princess whispered to herself in which RG Bowser Jr. heard. He began chuckling and she lightly tickled his chin with a bright smile. Deep ocean blue eyes met those of orange and red. Her eyebrows seemed to frown in a saddened state.  

"Yes and no...that's one of the things I'd like to talk to you about. If you would allow me. May I come closer?" She asked with a much softer tone. Her voice seemed to be getting quieter the deeper into things they got with the conversation. RG Bowser Jr. turned around to look at Bowser and he began vibrating again. He was hurting as well but there was little D. Peach could do to tend to injuries of the heart. She couldn't blame him for feeling so broken but still remaining strong. Losing someone was like losing yourself in ways not many understood. So to be looking at the one they had lost after learning to cope- it was like drinking fire. It burned on the inside but you suffered more on the outside.

[Mari]

Bowser puzzled over Peach's choice of words. Man, he had this awful feeling he was going to feel stupid real soon-like. Ah well. He was used to it, if nothing else. But hey, what was with this whispering? He glanced around the room for a brief moment as if in search for who might be listening. Discovering only a few bewildered looking koopas trying and failing to mind their own business. Hm. "...YOU!" Bowser shouted, grabbing the attention of the entire room with his commanding voice. "Get out. I need to speak to the princess privately." Bowser commanded rather flatly. On cue, the entire room emptied out in a hurry. At least Bowser still seemed to command some respect, in spite of the kingdom's apparent downfall. It was hard not to, really, what with Bowser being ... Bowser.

Leaning forward, Bowser met Dark Peach's eyes with something of wary interest. He was aware that something was wrong, but a simple enough creature to appreciate how it played to his favor without questioning it too much. "Gladly." the koopa king replied rather simply, inviting Dark Peach closer. As much as he was into the idea of kidnapping her after she went through all the trouble of presenting herself to him, the time when he could just get away with that without a plan and have Peach all to himself for a while until Mario managed to show up had come and passed. Some of the heroes on Li were decidedly much faster about the rescue business. He'd come to accept that there was simply no point if he wasn't going to put the effort into going all out--and that just wasn't something he was prepared to do right now. "So what's all this about?" Bowser finally asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

[Deleted]

D. Peach jumped at the sudden loudness but was grateful that he had requested everyone to leave. These were private manners and only Bowser needed to be aware. With his permission the princess made her way over to him, there was grace in each step. Her strides were even and steady, she had good balance about her as well. She came to a halt right before him and sat on her knees, letting RG Bowser Jr. sit in her lap, facing the King of all Koopa's just as she was. "Bowser...as you may already know I am not the Peach you know. I'm from a different world and so is Bowser Jr. here," she began with a solemn yet forlorn tone of voice. It stretched deep in her words and her pain seemed to drown her words, drenching them in her suffering but each word still came out fluently. 

"It was a normal day in the Mushroom Kingdom. You had kidnapped me and as usual I expected Mario to save me but...he never came." There was a hesitance to her form but she made herself continue, cuddling RG Bowser Jr. a bit tighter. He looked up at her with a sad expression, he too did not wish to relive the story but it was important that this Bowser knew...why? She wasn't certain but at the same time she figured it was due to what occurred when she had last seen her own Bowser. "Time had passed rather strangely at that time. To many days had gone by. From speaking on it now I believe Mario was having extra trouble battling you but it was not you that had caused him to-" her eyes welled up with tears and she brought up a gloved finger to dry them before they could unleash the dam waiting to be broken. Her hands were beginning to tremble and breathing suddenly became a chore. The pain in her chest at just  telling the tale was excruciatingly sharp. 

She took a shaky inhale of breath before continuing. "You were the one to release me. I was confused as to why and you had explained that Mario was murdered. From what I recall you said Lord Fawful and Count Bleck had shown up during your battle with Mario. The two of them had fused together using some strange magic to become even more powerful. Luigi had come to assist but his assistance only extended as far as taking a fatal wound in place of Mario...but it was too much for him and he-...." D. Peach turned her head and shook it, lowering it at the memory. The feelings from hearing that all that time ago came back full force. 

"Count Fawful as we began to call them wanted to kill us. You had taken me to get to safety. Their plans were to take all of us out and take over the entire world. My Kingdom had fallen along with all of my people...I- you took me to Professor E. Gadd who built a machine that would take us to another world. All of the koopalings including Bowser Jr. here were already safely inside." Dim blue eyes looked up into Bowser's as she continued.

"Count Fawful had found us and with their fusion they were a large, unstoppable entity. Taking them on alone was suicide. You knew this but you-...you insisted on taking them on alone and I couldn't bare the thought of losing you. Despite our differences we were still friends. Frenemies I'd say." She gave a dry chuckle at all of the memories of Mario Kart, Mario Party and everything in between. Those were truly the days. "I got to give you one last hug before you forced me away...the last thing I saw was a transformation I had never seen before. The Professor had called it Giga Bowser but...even I knew what had happened to you after we went through. I do not wish to think of the details."


RG Bowser Jr. was sniffling, already in tears although he wished to remain strong in front of the both of them. "As we traveled to the new world I vowed I would become stronger so I could be stronger than my kingdom was when it fell." There was a deep set fire in those dull blue eyes and even her sadness didn't seem to extinguish it. There lied her former and still current resolve to her strength. "I adopted Bowser Jr. and the rest of the koopalings. I became a full time mama," she exclaimed with a cheery tone despite that strain of sadness remaining within her voice. She rubbed her cheek against RG Bowser Jr's at the memory of her deciding to take them all in.  "I trained while I cooked, I trained while I cleaned. The world we were in was an unfinished Beta the professor had planned to use for storage and testing but with the sudden emergency it became our home. It was temporary because without its lifeline- the power in E. Gadd's lab it could only live on for ten years. In that time I helped him test new inventions and further improvements on the machine that would give us a new home- forever.  I had become as strong as I had always wanted to be but with my new found strength I could only do so little with it. I could lift all of my children and play airplane for hours...but my strength was there to protect...I had nothing to protect." Peach's eyes went dead cold the atmosphere seeming to comply with her mood. 

"The last year finally came and the machine was ready. The world was beginning to crumble and despite what we had wished Count Fawful had found us. My children did not wish to be separated from me but I could not have them in danger. I vowed to protect those left in my life with everything I had so I sent the Professor and the koopalings on their way- except for Bowser Jr. He wished to stay with me- I was the only Mama he had and he was the one I knew suffered most from his loss. I couldn't leave him...so I let him stay and sent the others on their way. We took on Count Fawful together. Jr. here made a grown up decision all on his own. I did not wish for him to ever bee in any danger during battle so- we came to a Rose Gold potion. A permanent irreversible potion that would turn any one completely Rose gold from inside and out. He cannot feel most pain and he won't ever die. He will never age naturally ever again...but it was a small price to pay in order to make sure his life wasn't at risk. I told him I would keep him safe either way but he insisted." RG Bowser Jr. released himself from the princess' hold to stand and look up at his papa from another world.

"I...I knew mama wanted to protect me but I also didn't want to get in the way. I wanted to help her fight so she wasn't fighting a battle all on her own! Mama lost so much in so little time...it's not fair that mama Peach had to go through all of this! But...it may be selfish of me to say this but I think I like it better this way. Mama Peach loves me and we're always together. In the past I had to kidnap Mama Peach just to have her attention." D. Peach giggled and the little koopaling blushed suddenly feeling bashful yet all he received was a kiss on his Rose Gold snout.

"You see Bowser our son here protected me and helped me defeat Count Fawful. Not only had they broken my vibe scepter which helped channel my emotions- they had sent him off into space and my anger was so great...I had taken their lives with my own two hands. Mind you I also had a mega mushroom power up to equal them in size- when they unfused they were so very tiny. My emotions were a brewing storm that I had little control over as well. That might've also fueled some of my rage. So...then the beta planet exploded  and I was flung out into space as well. I ended up here on Li...unconscious and badly injured. Fortunately this handsome devil had landed on Li as well. He took care of me until I was well again. So-...this is why I am the way that I am. This is why Bowser Jr. here is made of Rose Gold. Our wounds won't heal but it's alright." She smiled up at him but then took on a more apologetic expression.

"Our anger is misguided, misplaced...those threats I shot at you were not entirely random but I also would not have acted upon them. I still in my heart find myself angry at you for kidnapping me that day. Yet even still I know that if I was at my castle I would have perished along with everyone else. It was because of you...it was all you. My life was spared because of what you did. You had in some way saved me only to risk your own life for my safety in the end. Although knowing that- I can't help but still be upset. I'm conflicted inside because I'm lucky to be alive yet I feel as if it should have been me...." Finally with the story out the Princess began sobbing into her hands. RG Bowser Jr. looked down unsure of what to do. He pat her shoulder but ended up crying himself. 

"If I hadn't been so weak!" 

[Mari]

Bowser was... taken by surprise. To have another kingdom's ruler kneel before him was odd, but he couldn't place his finger on why. He wasn't exactly a champion of good manners or formal behavior. That was decidedly the... least bizarre thing he was hearing right now. When Dark Peach finally finished explaining, well, everything there was just one word to describe Bowser's reaction.

O V E R W H E L M E D

The koopa king awkwardly scratched his head with one claw as he tried to wrap his brain around what he was being told. Metaphorical gears shattered into a thousand pieces as he tried. On one hand, he kinda saw where Dark Peach was coming from. Yeah, he could definitely see himself standing up to another villain if they threatened him, his family, his princess, or his reputation as the de facto king of both koopas and bad guys. But on the other, the idea of Dark Peach killing someone was weird. Weird and perhaps uncomfortable. If she had that in her, ...why was he alive? what was preventing him from being next? Having his goose cooked by a pretty princess was like an 11 on his scale of worst ways to go. He'd be more broken up about it than Humpty Dumpty! Not even a resurrection spell could put him back together again!

...Heh. Sucked to be Fawful.

A bemused little growl of speculation escaped Bowser as he puzzled over it all, only for Dark Peach to start crying in front of him. "Gwa--? ...H-Hey! Don't cry! You trounced those losers yourself! It's everything I could've asked for!" Bowser replied rather encouragingly. He wasn't going to comment on the notion that he hadn't been able to do it himself. Clearly that world's Bowser hadn't been as tough as he was! " . . . Hold on--If Chuckles and The Count are gone... Doesn't that mean you're looking for a way to get back to your world?" Bowser asked. If the big bad from that world was gone, that meant her world was free now! Free for the taking! So why was she here, then? He had his suspicions, mostly that she couldn't go back any more than any of them could. But he needed to hear it from Dark Peach himself. If she was proposing something, he wanted to hear that too. Honestly, he was still extremely confused about it all, but he admittedly was starting to get a clue.

[Deleted]

Peach sniffled but a small smile came to her pretty pink lips from hearing Bowser's encouraging words. Her gloved fingers came to her rosy face to dry her tears. "Y-yeah. I was a lot stronger then too. I think due to the damage I sustained upon my arrival on Li also fiddled with my strength but that's alright. I'll get stronger again." She chirped with a very genuine smile gracing her lips. RG Bowser Jr. too dried his tears and smiled up at his Mama. The princess raked her fingers through her beautiful blonde hair, curling out at the  little pointed parts. She then shook her head with downcast eyes. Her smile fell a bit and it seemed to show in her pretty blue eyes as well. "My home was inevitably destroyed by Count Fawful. Tore up as he looked for me...for us," she began while rubbing RG Bowser Jr's arm. "I no longer have a home but they say home is where the heart is."

Peach lifted her head to look at Bowser once more. "I do hope that perhaps E. Gadd has found a way to reverse the effects but without any communication I have no way of knowing. Even if he has I have no way of leaving Li- however it is still a fact that all of my dearest friends are gone. I would go back to an empty kingdom with no one to rule."  She sat in silence for a few moments to let Bowser soak up what she had just said. "With this  being said I've come to request something from you. I...Bowser Jr. no longer has a father. For a child lacking a father figure can be critical to them." she paused unsure of how she properly wanted to word what she wanted to say. The woman stood, dusting off the lower part of her dress. When the idea came to her- her eyes brightened and a very precious smile fell on her lips.


"I don't know the Bowser of this world very well but I am certain I am the only one who  could appreciate him. So..would you allow me to get to know you? Would you- would you become Bowser Jr's father and-" she pulled a silver heart shaped pendant from around her neck. The pieces of the heart were together but seemed to be in halves. She pulled one of the halves off which revealed a  whole seperate necklace. "Would you be my friend? And should my world be restored- would you rule it with me?" She asked with big blue eyes, a slight curve to her lips. "Please?"

[Mari]

INCONCEIVABLE

. . . Good job princess, you broke him. Bowser went slack-jawed at Peach's request. The implications weren't lost on him. A smart or just a decent man probably would've had some problems with this. For starters, the perfect trap was staring him in the face. Second of all, this really should've felt wrong. It was wrong! This wasn't Peach, the person he'd professed his love for! It was someone else entirely! He'd made that discovery earlier when she made a threat so foul! Third of all, hadn't he made commitments to another Peach with all that forced marriage business?

...Thankfully Bowser was neither of those things. A good long moment later, after he recovered from his shock. "You want... me?? H-Huh. Of course!! We could probably use a lady's touch around the place...--" Bowser began to reply, doing his best (see: not entirely convincing) to pretend not to be giddy at the idea. However, he seemed to hesitate after a long moment's thought. "...Look, I've got to be honest with you. I hate the starvia as much as anyone else, but that doesn't mean the life sphere likes me. The famine's been especially hard on the koopa kingdom. Y'know how many people just turn into trophies on their own from lack of food? ...No one does, because most of the sphere's content to just leave us alone! The only thing keeping my people safe from all the other bad guys lurking in this corner of the sphere is me! And between us, even that's not enough. I keep seeing people disappear... I can't protect everyone, the police won't protect anyone. It's not a place you'd enjoy living..." Bowser explained in an uncharacteristically soft tone. It wasn't normal for him to admit fault. The fact of the matter was, though, that Peach would be in constant danger if she stayed here with him. Not even he could ruin her day as badly as all the creeps forced to ally with the sphere for their own safety could. Knowing the black market as well as he did, he couldn't help but suspect she'd be targeted the moment people knew she was staying someplace on a regular basis.

"Heh. They'd probably blame me if anything ever happened to you. Bunch of useless toads. ...No offense." Bowser went on to muse aloud. Of course, the police force was in fact mostly toads. And in all fairness, they'd garnered a reputation for being a bit bad at their job. Their hearts were in the right place, but they lacked both the skill and the courage to be an effective force. Usually this was why it was left to heroes to handle anything more complicated than a well-being check or an investigation. On the bright side, they mostly chose to communicate with Bowser via letters, too scared to speak to him directly. It made it very easy for him to do whatever he pleased without risk of police interference. Now if only he could do something meaningful with that freedom...

[Deleted]

"Danger does not frighten me. I think that if anything you should come live with Bowser Jr. and I. Our home is quite big. It's a little too much for just the two of us. You and everyone else here could live there with us but only if you truly felt that your life would be in danger here," the woman explained as her gaze turned to the dingy walls and ceilings. Those crystal blue eyes scanned the room finding many different ways to approach each area for cleaning. "Either way I am not against tidying this place up. Cleaning comes easy to me." Her smile proved to be genuine along with her words.

RG Bowser Jr. cuddled his mother but did not say much beyond a little "oooh" or "good idea!" D. Peach of course retaliated with a gentle kiss to his rose gold snout.


"Even if it is how you say it is here which I have seen on my way in...it does not scare me off even a little. I may be a princess but each and every day I grow stronger! No matter what knocks me down I will get up time and time again! So..." she paused for a moment to take a little breather. "Don't worry about me to that extent. My concern lies on you more than it does myself. This time I want to fight beside you and everyone else. I refuse to sit idly by and watch anymore." Her plump pink lips pulled into a small grin. "I will help you protect your people no matter what the costs. That's why I also wish for you to have this," the woman spoke in a tender tone, her hand still holding the other necklace. "With it on we will be stronger together." Peach's eyes lit up as she remembered something. "If anyone is currently injured I can heal them with ease. Even broken bones. My love magic has as much love in it as it does my resolve. That's what makes it so strong." After a long moment the princess chuckled. It was a little late but; "You're right. They probably would blame you ahuhuhuhu~!" 

[Mari]

Bowser chuckled a tad. It was the first time he'd laughed since the last time he kidnapped--...Well, y'know. Taking the necklace, he awkwardly examined it in his gigantic hand.

...There was no way this would ever fit around his neck.

Yet, as it touched his scales it began to glow, a rune on the back of it lighting up. It made him wonder. The real Peach--...No. The Peach he knew hadn't paid him a visit once. Not even after Bowser Jr. attempted to kidnap her! That last part was a bit of a surprise to him, but eh--He wasn't complaining about no one storming in to hold him responsible for that. Instead, she'd gone off to spread love to everyone.

...Everyone except him.

He didn't get it! He was a great guy! The best! I mean sure, he'd caused some chaos, hurt a bunch of people, ...started a few riots in the life sphere, but he had his reasons! Yet, Peach hated him! Viewed him with disdain!

...But not this Peach. Why was she different? Heck if he understood it, but y'know what they say...

Ignorance is bliss

Bowser slipped the necklace onto his arm instead. It would just have to serve as a strange bracelet for him. ...He already knew he was going to have to punch someone's lights out over this. " . . . In that case..." Bowser began, pretending to think the offer over carefully. "I'd love to rule your world with you!! This one or the next. With your magic and my strength, I bet not even the starvia can stand in our way!" Bowser firmly replied, overjoyed with this turn of events. She didn't even try to stop him from taking over the world! And that... Well that suited him just fine.

It would be the beginning of something ...terrific.

((This is the end of the thread for me!))