Level 1 Start

Deep down within the dark depths of Bowser's keep the koopa king sat upon his throne scheming away. His scheming wasn't what it used to be His thoughts wondered, and he sighed. The nefarious plans that just went through his head ended in failure quickly. He continued this throughout the afternoon each sigh growing louder and louder.

Bowser couldn't make anything work. Frustration wasn't something he handled well, and he quickly tried to vent with deafening roar that shook the inner chambers of the castle. The guards, stunned at first, played a quick game of paper-rock-scissors to see who would check on the king.

The koopa troopa on the standing to the left of the great doors had lost the best of 3. He cringed and reached for the handle. He stood still for a moment gathering his courage, he then took a deep breath and slowly creaked the door open. He started to ask a question when another, yet slightly less room shaking, roar came in response.

"Leave!" Bowser yelled after he finished his roar and the door snapped shut as if though it had never been opened. Bowser was breathing hard, anger was also something the koopa king didn't handle well.

He sat back in his throne and closed his eyes and tried to relax his claws come to a rest on the end of the marble armrests. Deep breaths were taken, Bowser reaching the calm when a high pitch voice cracked his silence.

"Lord Bowser is something the matter?" The owner of the voice was none other than Kammy swooshing in on her broom. She looked at him noticing his armrests had become cracked by his claws. "Lord Bowser please be careful with the marble, the coins per block has risen in the past months."

"The only reason I broke them was because of your nails-on-a-chalkboard voice," Bowser answered back with smoke jetting out of his nostrils.

"I apologize sincerely for the chair but what was that roar about? I could feel it in my tower." Bowser grumbled not wanting his advisor to know he was hitting a scheming dry spell. "You've hit a dry spell haven't you?" Bowser was at a loss for words, His only thoughts were, how did she know?

"It's not a dry spell," Bowser spoke up. "Its just I can't make a plan that is flawless is all.

"So what is your lordship going to do about that?"

"I don't know yet." There it was, the admission he was trying to hide from himself. But low and behold the truth pops out. This only depressed him and Bowser drooped, or tried to at least. His custom made throne kept his shell in one place and thus Bowser couldn't droop. He improvised and drooped his head instead. He reached up to rub his brow feeling defeat and more sighs quickly followed.

"My king might I suggest something?" Kammy spoke up.

"What!?" Bowser kept his face in his hand.

"Well you've been back in the castle for two years. And in that time you've sufferd quite a number of setbacks."

"Your point?" followed by a threatening growl.

"Well it's been quite some time since you have traveled so I'm proposing that you take a vacation."

"A vacation!?" Bowser leaped up from his throne. "A . . . " He calmed quite quickly that Kammy noticed.

"Lord Bowser?" Kammy inquired wondering what he was thinking.

"Kammy!" Bowser yelled making Kammy jump. "Pack my things. I'm going on a vacation." Bowser then began to laugh, it being full of evil.

Kammy was unsure of what was happening. Bowser was going on a vacation but he was laughing as if though he was raiding princess Peach's castle. "My king, you are just vacationing aren't you?"

"I think I'll go visit the different kingdoms and well," Bowser laughter died down to a chuckle. "get some souvenirs." Bowser walked toward towering doors of his throne room. He cracked the door open to find the guards fidgeting anxiously, but he barked an order and the two guards saluted and ran off toward the heli-pad on the keeps roof, going to start up his clown copter.

"Kammy!" Bowser yelled once more as he walked back towards his small advisor. "Where can I find a map of the different kingdoms smaller areas?"

"There has never been a universal map before, only kingdom specific maps that never usually leave there country of origin." Her words made Bowser growl.

"Surely someone has been to a few of the different lands."

"Do you remember when we first visited Rougeport?"

"Of course. A town full of no good dirty cretins, my kind of place. What of it."

"While we were there I heard about of a goomba professor who was well traveled."

"Well traveled you say,"

"Yes, if anyone would have a map of the kingdoms it would be him."

"His name?"

"Frankly I believe."

"Good, good," a toothy grin appeared on his face. Suddenly a loud knock came upon the dual doors. Bowser gave a loud "Enter" and the troopas that bowser had talked to earlier had come back.

"Sir your copter is ready," one of the troopas stated.

"Good you're dismissed," Bowser answered and the troopa went back to his post on the other side of the grand doors.

"Your not leaving right now are you?" Kammy asked in shock.

"I'm not leaving, leaving," came Bowser's reply, and confusion replaced the shocked look on Kammy's face. "I'm going to visit Peach and those blasted plumbers before I leave."

Kammy's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Why?" was the only thing she could muster.

"It's part of a bigger plan," Bowser said as he made his way toward the double doors. "a MUCH bigger plan." He left through the doors laughing once again.

Kammy smile. King Bowser was back . . . sort of.

Level 1 Completed