The Origin of Bowser
Prologue:
Over the years, Bowser has made hundreds of attempts to kidnap Princess Peach out of love and rule the Mushroom Kingdom. But he always ends up getting defeated by Mario. There is no doubt that the Koopa King, one of the biggest threats, longs forabsolute power and respect since he was a baby, but the truth was, he wasn't always evil. In fact, he was once a loving hero with a corrupted childhood that once made him a spoiled brat and a human girlfriend who was later killed by a wicked dictator who formerly fell in love with her.
During the first galactic Smash War, which was the result of several races either competing for power or putting universal reconciliation, Bowser's parents sent him to a pod to launch him from their battleship to the Mushroom World; this was to ensure his safety from dangers from the massive war. The last words said by the father were "Love is not a happy ending, but it will overcome everything. And when you put your mind to your goals, there's no problem big enough to run away from. You can and WILL overcome them, son, no matter what." Of course, Baby Bowser did not listen because he was too young to understand the concept of love. After he was sent away with tears, the parents were killed by a nuclear-powered Banzai Bill fired by their enemies.
Chapter 1 - A Rivalry Born
After the tragic farewell, Bowser landed to the stork's nest where the bird recently received two babies named Mario and Luigi. The stork chose to carry the young Mario Bros. to their parents, but not Bowser, because it indicated "darkness" in him since the war. So it decided to kick the Koopa Prince out of its nest, dropping him off the cliff to the ground, which severely shattered his feelings if not his bones; this was where Bowser met Kamek the Magikoopa, who decided to adopt him when he felt sorry that the poor prince was abandoned by the stork. So Kamek decided to give the prince revenge on the frightened bird by kidnappingMario and Luigi.
Later, the stork was flying at the sky while carrying the Mario Bros. with its beak, like what was said in the game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. When the bird traveled from dusk to dawn, Kamek flew near it faster than a cheetah.
"SCRREEEECH!" "THE BABIES ARE MINE!" Kamek cackled. The wizard managed to kidnap Baby Luigi, but he forgot to snatch Mario, who about to fall into the bigblue ocean.
In the interim, Yoshi, at the island, was taking a stroll. Suddenly, Mario dropped in onto his back, which amazed the dinosaur. "The baby seems to be fine," Yoshi thought. "This is very fortunate! What?" Then, a map fell with the infant. "Let's take a peek . . . It looks like a map." The stork used to own this map, but Yoshi wasn't aware of that. Since he couldn't read it, he decided to talk to his friends.
"AAAKK!" Kamek screeched. When he realized that he forgot Mario, he ordered the Toadies to find him.
Yoshi came to see the other Yoshies to ask to help Mario return to his parents, as Kamek's army was aggressively searching the island. Later, after undergoing hardships with bosses, such as a three-headed Piranha Plant with a swollen umbilicus, a frog prince with a large appetite, and a giant raven on a moon made of cheese, Yoshi arrived at the castle to foil Bowser, who was holding Baby Luigicaptive; he wasn't aware that the prince only wanted a playmate. After a hostile battle, the Koopa Prince was dramatically enlarged by Kamek to destroy Baby Mario and Yoshi, but he was ultimately defeated, resulting in his glorious rivalry with Mario and Yoshi. And since this day, Bowser was developed to be ill-mannered but lonely.
Chapter 2 - Social Darwinism
After many of Bowser's unsuccessful ploys against Mario and Yoshi, such as turning the island into a storybook and time traveling to the future to get the Cobalt Star, the two enemies were sent to a city by their owners where they can receive education at a school as they got older. This was when Young Mario finally lived with his biological parents permanently. At elementary school, Mario juggled ten blocks, played "Oh! Susanna" with the accordion fluently and later demonstrated his strength by lifting a 50 pound barbell at recess; all of the students, except Bowser, praised him for these capabilities.
One of the students, named Johnny, said, "Wow! That's neat, how you're lifting that barbell with just one arm! I wish I could be like you one day, Mario!"
"You could, if you put your heart to it," Mario replied. I'm-a just doing this to inspire all of you guys to make full potential of things."
Meanwhile, Bowser was surrounded by a group of certain human kids whose red-haired leader was named Darwin Kurosawa; they did not seem to be friendly to the poor Koopa.
"Look at this freakish monster," Darwin told all of his members. He then talked to the prince. "Yo, Bowser! Your breath stinks so badly for a prince that it makes me feel like I'm living in a dump!" he told the prince.
"You got any more problems with yourself besides the fact that you're so gross and vile, not to mention so slow and stupid that none of the fairies, Goombas, and girls like you?" added Tim.
"Why don't you mind your own stinking businesses, you big stupid-heads?" Bowser replied, trying to defend himself.
"There is no way that I am spending class with that ugly frog," said George with a dirty look. "What do you say that we later show everyone in the school what a HORRIBLE monster he is?"
After those cruel comments, the kids carried Bowser and sent him to a garbage can without any of the adults knowing. Since then, the Koopa Prince was frequently bullied and framed by the other students so he would get punished by the teacher for several pranks he did not pull; he eventually realized that despite his special treatment from Kamek, he had lived with misery and loneliness due to the influence of the monster stereotype, the lack of friends and most of all, the loss of his parents from the Smash War. Nonetheless, he did not learn from the mistakes he made back in Yoshi's Island.
Sadly, Kamek was not there for the little victim after his apparent arrest for causing trouble with some citizens who saw him as a "freak show".
Later, after school, Bowser came to see the teacher Mrs. Kookie to discuss about Darwin teasing him."
"Mrs. Kookie, do you see me as a monster?" asked the prince. "Because it wasn't me that pulled the pranks, it was Darwin."
"I realized that, too." replied the teacher. "I apologize for blaming you for the tricks in the first place. If Darwin was responsible, then why did he pull those pranks?"
"At recess, that kid called me a "beast" and that group sent me to a garbage can because they believed that I don't belong here," explained Bowser.
"I did not know that," said Mrs. Kookie. "I will be sure to talk to Darwin tomorrow about what happened today. Just remember try your best to ignore what people say about you, no matter how hard it may seem."
"I will, if I can," said the prince.
Chapter 3 – Kamek in the City
Earlier, right after taking Bowser school, Kamek decided to explore the city only to fail to adapt to urban life. First, he tried to put a spell on a male human with a bald head to give him hair, but that person ended up resembling a Sasquatch as a side effect.
"AHHHH!" The hairy man screamed.
Next, he enlarged some apples at the outdoor market, but they exploded, angering the fruit vendor. Then, he brought a Donkey Kong statue to life that decided to throw rocks and garbage at the people around it. It seemed that the Magikoopa was only capable of performing black magic, explaining the misfortunes. Consequently, everyone was displeased with the Magikoopa's behavior and treated him like a lunatic.
"HEY THERE, EVERYBODY!" screeched Kamek. "Want to see some good magic around here?"
Everyone looked away and left him alone.
"Let's go to the cafe, shall we?" said a female Koopa with a flowered hat, hanging out with other girls.
(whistles) "You certainly look like a lovely lady today", said Kamek, blushing. "How about a little bit of card tricks?"
"Get away from me, you freak show!" screamed the Koopa.
Suddenly, another Koopa, who married the woman, shows up. "What's going to here?" asked the lady's husband angrily. "And why you are trying to steal my Holly Koopa, you little twerp? I am going to squeeze the filling out of you!"
"It should you whose filling should be squeezed out", replied Kamek. Then, he used his wand to "deflate" the male Koopa, which made the lady freak out and notify the police. The other girls ran away and screamed.
This was when everyone else was looking, and not in a positive way.
"Officer T!" cried Holly Koopa. "Arrest that Magikoopa who turned my husband into a pancake!"
The Police Toad pointed a tazer gun at Kamek. "Freeze!" he ordered. "Put your wand down!"
"Freeze?" replied Kamek. "Okay." He froze the Toad in an ice cube with his wand.
Soon, another cop, hiding in a bush, tranquilizes the Magikoopa in his butt three times via dart from a gun.
"That will do!" exclaimed the second officer.
"Je ne regrette rien," giggled a dizzy Kamek. And he fainted, ending the madness. Eventually, more police officers arrived and carried the wizard to jail and confiscated his wand.
After a relatively long trial, the Magikoopa was desperate to get out of prison during his punishment. "HEY! You can't leave me in here!" cried Kamek. "I have a son to take care of!"
"Oh, don't you worry," answered the warren. "We'll make sure to send your son to a special foster home where he'll learn that you can't get everything you want and how tough it is to be a certain prince. And by the way, I have learned everything about what happened at Yoshi's Island."
"But how?" asked Kamek.
"A photographer once showed me some pictures of you and Bowser causing havoc at the island," answered the warren. "You two weren't playing nice to the child with the red cap and his green dinosaur. And I have a feeling that your son will eventually mark the beginning of a broad crisis, for a monster he is."
Because of the Magikoopa's long sentence in prison, after the first day of school, Bowser was sent to the special foster home, in which Mr. Clawful the cougar, his new owner, abused him like a personal slave.
"Hello, Bowser," snarled Mr. Clawful. "As punishment for your wrongs, you've got a lot of errands to do over your free time. And do you wonder why nobody likes you? Because you're a BEAST who only cared about power! You're lucky to live with me because if I didn't have to adopt you, I would end your wrath by hunting you down and hanging your head up on a wall!"
The truth was that Bowser wasn't lucky, even though Mr. Clawful actually had no plans of hunting him down right away but to simply discipline him. He was given either no food or inadequate food, dealt with Mr. Clawful's heavy ranting and insults when he did something wrong, and spent his spare time for various nerve-wrecking child labor assigned by his owner. In some cases, he was completely neglected for long periods of time. However, this was nothing compared to how he was bullied at school every day.
Chapter 4 – Love at First Sight
Every day at school, the poor prince had to undergo many of Darwin's stereotypic insults, such as "lizard lips" and "freak of nature", pranks like putting glue on his seat, and his daily spanking since the boy was told on the teacher, ending up with deep anger as a result. He often attempts the boy politely and constantly to stop pulling the practical jokes and calling him those cruel names, but this only made Darwin hot-tempered and aggressive that the kid would beat him up extra brutally. In addition, no one wanted to hang out with the prince or give presents to him of any kind.
However, there was one girl who felt deeply sorry for the recently mistreated Koopa Prince. She was regarded as one of the most beautiful students in the school; she had soft cotton-white hair with a bob cut, skin smooth as high-quality silk, sapphire blue eyes that reminded everyone of the Atlantic Ocean, and beautiful clothes that proved how wealthy like diamonds in the sky she was. Bowser briefly noticed her, but he was too busy grieving over how everyone treated him.
One weekend, when Mr. Clawful went to a party with his friends, Bowser decided to go visit the forest when he realized that he wasn't assigned anything.
"Maybe if I spend time with nature, I would forget about that stupid Darwin who is always picking on me all the time," said Bowser. "Why does everyone say that I'm a monster? I throw fits and scream whenever I don't anything I want, but that's because my life is MISERABLE! I hate my crummy home, I hate my new owner, I hate that horrible school, and I HATE EVERYTHING I HAVE!" Then, Bowser saw a skunk, which was freaked out by his appearance. He screamed and ran into the trees to avoid getting sprayed. Later, he slipped into a thorny bush, got stuck, and scratched his leg by the thorns. The young prince got out, but he was wounded and started to cry. "WAHHH!" cried Bowser, bursting into tears.
Suddenly the white-haired girl from school heard Bowser crying and found him with one of his legs cut by the thorns on that bush.
"Are you alright?" asked the girl, showing concern.
"No…" sniffled the prince. "First, a skunk was about to spray me. I ran away, but I ended up getting tipped by that dumb bush, and here I am with this scar on one of my legs as well as a bruised arm. Some spiky berries are stuck in my head too."
"That's awful," replied the girl. "May I see where you got hurt, please?" She brought two bandages and placed one on Bowser's scratched leg and the other for his bruised arm. "There."
"…Thank you," said Bowser, plucking the spiky berries of his hair. "No one else ever showed me with this amount of kindness.
"You're welcome," told the girl. "By the way, I wonder what your name is…other than what Darwin called you."
"My name is Bowser Koopa," he answered. "What's yours?"
"I'm Rosaria Silvestriano," she responded. "Anyway, I don't see why everyone teases you all of the time. You seem be an innocent person."
"I am today," said Bowser. "It's just that ever since Kamek and I moved to this city, we have been struggling to get used to living with all of these new people. Especially if everyone treats you like a monster. Also, there are no Bob-ombs, no treasure, no relics, and no reason to destroy Mario…"
"Wait, you wanted to destroy Mario?" asked Rosaria. "Why?"
"It's not that I WANTED to destroy Mario," said Bowser. "It's true that I was a bit evil back in Yoshi's Island, considering the fact that I wanted power and pretty much everything else. But the truth is that everyone saw me as a monster before so. I was also jealous that the twerp with the red-cap had lots of friends like Peach, Donkey Kong, and most of all, Yoshi. Kamek kidnapped Luigi a few times so that I would have someone to play with, unlike NEVER, but unfortunately, I lost. And while those Star Children now live with their parents, my Mom and Dad, who were in a war, sent me away, and died. When I got here, I abandoned my foul ways and focused more on how everyone sees me a beast. Anyway, that wizard who owned me was arrested for using magic on the humans. Since then, I live in a foster home with that nasty brute Mr. Clawful. I really miss my old owner Kamek. I remember the time when he gave me a large box of cookies and how I ate the whole container in one sitting."
"I understand how lonely you are and how everyone treated you," said Rosaria. "But have you ever considered being a friend and doing something good for other people? It's not where you came from or what you look like that defines you. It's who you choose to be. And you may have lost your parents, but once you pay no attention to what everyone says about you and make them your friends, you wouldn't be as lonely or mistreated as before."
"Thank you for the advice," said Bowser.
Since the first time Bowser met Rosaria, every recess, they would spend time talking to each other and playing together. The prince also made fine attempts to ignore all of Darwin's teasing and treated all of the students with generosity and empathy, including Mario and the Star Children (Luigi, Peach, Wario, and DK). As a result, he felt better about himself and finally adjusted to his new life…well, almost.
Chapter 5 - Family Appreciation Day
Since he was a baby, Bowser has been thinking about his parents before their demise during the Smash War. He remembered the time when back in his home place, he was given ancient artifacts such as a jewelry embedded lamp discovered by his father on his first birthday. There was also the time when his mother sang authentic songs right before every nap time. But the more he thought about the time his parents were killed by the giant atomic missile, the worse he felt. Since then, he wrote himself a diary focusing on his most precious memories with his family during his bedtime. On Family Appreciation Day, he decided to show the diary only to his beloved friend Rosaria as a special consideration regarding the fact that he no longer had parents to be thankful for. Unexpectedly, Darwin showed up and saw the prince carrying the book.
"Hi, freak," greeted Darwin in an unpleasant manner. "What have you got there?"
"It's none of your business, Darwin," answered Bowser. "Now leave me alone."
"Me, leave you alone? After stealing my girlfriend, Rosaria?" replied Darwin. "No way! Not until you hand over that book!"
"I told you, this is something that's none of your business!" told Bowser. "Will you please leave me ALONE, for just once in my whole life!?"
Then, Darwin tried to yank the diary from the prince's hands. Bowser tugged back.
"Hey! Give it back! That's mine!" yelled the Koopa Prince. The two were tugging the book until the red-haired boy won and threw the prince to a water puddle.
Darwin opened the book and read every single page. "Let's see here," he said. "….At Smash War I, your parents sent you away in a pod to Yoshi's Island. They were killed by a nuclear missile and that was the last time you ever saw them. Wow! Do you know what this means, turtle trog? You have no family today! They abandoned you because they hated you for a monster you are!"
Suddenly, Mario showed up and saw Darwin with Bowser's diary. "Give back his book, Darwin Kurosawa," he told the red-haired boy in a serious tone.
"Mario?" asked Darwin. "What are you doing here? This is something you should stay out of."
Mario gave Darwin a stern look. "It doesn't matter whether someone's a monster or not, if you are going to pick on this orphan, make sure he's your size. Now return the diary to the owner."
Darwin gave Bowser his diary back. "Just wait until school starts," he told the prince.
"Mario, why did you help me? I always hated you since we were babies," Bowser told Mario.
"Sometimes, you got to help your enemies in need," said Mario. "They have feelings just like all of us."
Bowser simply got out of the puddle and walked to school. At school, the students were to make presentations focused on their parents to explain why they were thankful for them. The teacher Mrs. Kookie chose Mario first to come up to the front of the class.
"Mario, can you show us why you appreciate your parents?" asked Mrs. Kookie.
Mario played his slideshow and began to speak. "I am thankful for my parents because first of all, my mother makes me that flavorsome lasagna that I love so much that my mouth always water whenever I smell it. My father also teaches me how to fix things such as a bicycle and cuckoo clock." After his 5-minute presentation, everyone gave a round of applause.
"Can we have the next person to show up?" asked the teacher. "How about you, Rosaria? You look highly prepared today."
"Okay," replied Rosaria.
After large number of presentations, Bowser was the last one to present. This was due to the fact that he lost his parents.
"What's wrong, Bowser?" asked Mrs. Kookie. "You look so tremendously sad."
"I'm fine…right this second," replied Bowser. But when he showed up with his diary to face all of the students, he began to shed tears and sobbed quietly that he could not bear to speak.
"….Are you sure you're fine?" questioned the teacher.
The prince didn't say anything. He simply continued weeping.
"I think I know why he's not saying anything," said Darwin, smirking. "You see, his parents took him to a pod to send him away from outer space before they died in a war. They deserted him because they LOATHED him! They weren't happy to take care of them because he was too much of a big, mean, awful, and unlovable abomination, and that's all he'll ever be!"
"You can say that again!" said Darwin's group.
"Well, his parents could be monsters too, not only Bowser," confronted Wario.
"Then that turtle DOES NOT belong here!" replied Darwin. "He never had, and he never will!"
The prince was hurt after the severe verbal abuse.
"Mr. Kurosawa, what you said was very cruel! Why don't you report to principal's office for this harassment?" scolded Mrs. Kookie.
After several heavy breaths, Bowser's blood started to boil, his head turned steaming red, and he started shaking with a threatening look until he triggered an explosive outburst of rage! First, he attempted to burn Darwin into charcoal with a fire ball. "I'm through with you, Darwin!" he yelled. "What you said were lies! My parents LOVED me! They wanted to save me! You will roast for lying to me!"
Scared to death, the boy ran away. Then, Bowser tore every book, smashed every single desk with his fists, and either injured or scared off every student in the school (except for Mario, Peach, and Rosaria), resulting in his most devastating rampage ever. He was fed up with all the bullying throughout the school year! "My life is MISERABLE! I hate my crummy home! I hate my new owner! I hate this horrible school!" he shrieked. "I'M GOING TO DESTROY THIS STINKING TOWN RIGHT NOW!"
As the enraged Bowser laid waste to the city by throwing cars with his bare hands and burning down buildings, a portion of the citizens chased him with torches and pitchforks to stop his rampage.
"I knew this day would come," said Mr. Clawful, who was leading the angry mob. "Come on, people, we've got a monster to hunt!"
In prison, Kamek saw Bowser being chased by the angry mob. He wanted to save him, but he could do nothing without his magic wand. Thus, he had to wait until his sentence was over.
When Bowser went to a bridge, there was a dead end, as he stood watching the mob getting closer and closer. Thus he only choice he had was to dive into the ocean and fake his death to put relief on everyone in the city. Mario, the Star Children, and a brokenhearted Rosaria watched him fall and wondered if he actually died in the ocean. In truth, Bowser resentfully swam miles to Brooklyn without stop. By the time the prince arrived to the new place, he slowly looked for a bench to sleep on. When he found one, he thought about what happened during Family Appreciation Day and cried.
"My life really stinks this time," he wept. "I lost everything I had: Kamek, a home, a friend, everything. Why does it have to be this way?"
To ensure that he would not be recognized, he took off his bandanna when he got older, and this marked the beginning of his true obscureness, where he experienced what it's really like to be all alone with absolutely no one to love him.
PART 2 - Adulthood
Chapter 6 – The Damp Tramp
Until Bowser finally became an adult, he had no home, no education, no money to buy food of any kind, and he avoided being sent to another orphanage so that he wouldn't have deal with a cruel owner again. He also wore a hooded cloak to prevent exposing his face while spending many years asking people for money. But even with the hood, he still frightened them, despite his inevitable poverty.
"Excuse me, lady," said Bowser. "Could you spare me a quarter? How about a dime? A nickel? What about a penny? I've been living without a home for years!"
The woman only screamed and hit him with a purse. Not only that it hurt Bowser's face, but it also hurt his feelings. This proves that no matter how hard the "monster" tried to convince anybody for money, they either ran away, or hit him with an object such as a book or a bag. Eventually, the now-giant turtle finally gave up, went back to the bench, took off his cape, and sniveled.
"Why is everyone so afraid of me?" asked Bowser. "I never did anything wrong to them. All I ever did was asking for a little money or a piece of food."
That night, another lady came to see the lonely Koopa; it was Rosaria who now became an adult. She was flabbergasted that the turtle was still alive, despite diving a hundred feet into the water from the bridge years ago. Nonetheless, she felt concerned about how he's doing lately.
"What's wrong, big guy? You look a little lost," she said.
"Just go away," Bowser responded, unrecognizing her at first. "You must be one of the people who are scared of me. Shouldn't you be screaming or something?" He then took a sight of the lady's snowy hair and blue eyes. His eyes started to widen. "Wait a minute," he said. "Aren't you the white-haired girl who fixed my leg?"
"That's right," the lady replied. "It's me, Rosaria. Remember me from elementary school? I'm not afraid of you, not even close."
"Compared to in the past, you look even more beautiful than before," complemented the dragon turtle.
"Why thank you," replied Rosaria.
"Anyway, for many years, after I fabricated my demise, I've been living with seclusion and severe poverty. In other words, I've got no dough, no grub, no school, no buds, zilch," moaned Bowser. "At least nobody bullies me anymore. I wish that cruel kid Darwin left me alone. If he did, I wouldn't have made this mistake of moving here."
"I'm really sorry about your new life," said Rosaria. "And that's why I'm thinking of inviting you to my house for you to stay until I find you a job and your own home. You can't live like this forever."
"Why, that's very generous of you!" said Bowser. "Do you know how long I waited for a miracle like this?" So Rosaria brought Bowser to her home, made him something to eat, and permitted him to sleep in the garret, which was surprisingly clean and comfortable.
The next morning, the white-haired lady took Bowser a fancy café to order breakfast. This was the place where the giant dragon turtle was first met by King Wart in the flesh.
"Bowser, is that you?" asked the giant royal frog. "Long time no see. When I was a tadpole, I heard in the news that you attacked a city when you were a child. Was that chili-haired brat mean to you at school? Likewise, I'm rather amazed that you survived your plunge after I once thought you committed suicide."
"Yep, I'm still here," replied Bowser. "And today, that lady is getting me a waffle because no one else cared for a monster like me, and that's all I'll ever be."
"People see me as a monster, too," croaked Wart. "And that's why I treat everyone as one; for instance, I spit on people, I smash vegetables, and I blow bubbles all over. Be a book as your cover."
"Don't listen to that frog," said the barista on stilts. "Have you ever felt like doing something good?"
"Well, yes actually," answered Bowser. "I'm sick of acting like a bad guy, but if I'm treated like a beast, must I be one?"
"It doesn't matter what you look like or where you came from, convinced the barista. "It's your inner self that counts." He then served the breakfast to the Koopa when it was ready. "Anyway, here's your blueberry and chocolate waffles with a side order of ham and scrambled eggs. Miss Silvestriano ordered it for you."
"Thank you," said the big turtle, eating his waffles. "By the way, what's your name?"
"My name is Armand-Guglielmo the beagle," the barista responded. (Beagles tend to be shorter than humans, which is why this one needs stilts for height to serve.) "People call me AG for short." And this is my friend Starlow the Star Sprite. Say hello, Starlow."
"Yello morning, Bowser! Now why are you confused about who you should be?" asked Starlow.
(Sigh) "Don't ask why, 'Chippy'; can I call you Chippy? You know, I do want to be a hero in order to CHANGE who I am and reveal my feelings, so people could see me differently and befriend me if possible," said Bowser, finishing his eggs.
"Then be the hero you want to be," said Armand-Guglielmo. "Remember, good looks and capes don't describe a hero, it's your motivations and character that prove that you want to do the right thing. In this world, standards of beauty as well as "super powers" seem to determine who a hero is, but trust me, a true hero does not really need any of those gimmicks. Just imagine a superhero with top-end powers and abilities and elegant clothes. He may live up to the standards and attract millions, but he only does his job so he could earn money and fame. And the truth is, they don't fulfill his heart. Another example is a troll who is often feared by villagers. But what if the troll actually saved a girl from a ferocious bear? Then the villagers wouldn't be as afraid as before. The point is that no one can describe who anyone is by their appearance or their talents. It's your goals and your personality that matters the most. And that's how you make friends. By making the right choices.
"Wow, I never realized that!" replied the big Koopa. "You know what, AG? I think I am going to look for someone who needs my help, whether he or she likes me or not."
"Then go out there and follow your goals!" exclaimed AG. "I wish you good luck!"
"Yello Goodbye!" saluted Starlow. "I hope the girls are gonna dig ya."
"Thanks, but I seriously doubt it," replied the big turtle, leaving the café. "Bye."
Chapter 7 - From Sorrow to Hero/A Change of Heart
After the meal, Rosaria had to go to work whereas Bowser attempted to look for a person who was in distress. Sadly though, he failed to find anyone who was in trouble as everyone was just as afraid of him as ever. Then, when he was about to give up, he saw a girl next to a bear cave on a cliff a hundred miles away; it seemed that she was in danger.
At the mountains, the girl apart from his family was next to the cave, carrying a picnic basket.
"Hey, this looks like a good spot, Mom, don't you think?" asked the girl.
"Don't go there, Ace!" warned the mother. "It's too dangerous! There's a grizzly bear inside the cave!"
"Don't worry, the bear's probably asleep right now," said Ace.
But it wasn't. As soon as the furry beast smelled the girl's food, it got out of the cave and planned to eat the girl to get the basket. Ace screamed and tried to ran away, but she slipped form the cliff, and started to fall.
"Ace!" said the father.
When he saw her fall, Bowser was so alert that he took an explosive burst, sprinting from forty to ONE HUNDRED MILES to near the cliff within little time! This was quite unusual for his top speed as he was often slow due to the lack of regular exercise. So it was credible that his speed surges whether his cognizance and metabolism increases.
"Good thing I have a super acute binocular vision!" exclaimed Bowser. "I have to be there quick! She'll die from that fall!"
When Ace was about to fall to her demise, Bowser leaped tons of feet high from the ground, caught the girl with his hands and landed safe and sound holding her. Then, he saw Ace's family about to be attacked by the grizzly bear. So he jumped up to the cliff, placed the girl on the grass gently, and prepared to fight the bear. It was a violent battle, and it lasted until the Koopa finally used his fire breath to scare the furry carnivore away! After the fight, he brought Ace to her parents. He was the "scary but valiant troll" cited by the barista.
"Put her to safety and find someplace more harmless to have your picnic," Bowser advised the parents.
"You saved me," said Ace, waking up. "Thank you."
Caused by this appreciation, the dragon turtle actually felt warmth in his soul, similar to a frozen otter being thawed, waiting to eat urchins to save the sea. His heart started pounding louder than a bass drum as the sound was scattering like a forest fire. He also felt mental vigor and extra energy in his mind, healing his wounds from his childhood and sending him to a higher level of a mountain. Once he felt this good, he was eager as a beaver to save "biodiversity" (society) and turn over a new leaf he always wanted to have. But the question is would this phenomenon last for long? No one knew.
Next, at night, Bowser saw a mansion burning; since the firefighters weren't there, he knew he had to break in the place to rescue the people inside.
"I'm lucky to be fireproof!" coughed Bowser. "Now where is everybody?" Next, he heard the family who owned the mansion and the guests screaming in another room. He tried to open the door, but the knob wouldn't budge, so he smashed the wall to provide everyone a way to escape. "EVERYONE OUT!" he shouted. The people ran, but there was one guest that was lying on the floor, unconscious and about to inhale the smoke from the fire. While Bowser picked him up, he soon met Mallow, a cloud-like character who came from Tadpole Land.
"What are you doing here?" asked the turtle. "And who are you?"
"The question is what are YOU doing here? You shouldn't be here unless you're a firefighter!" he coughed, summoning a raincloud to extinguish to flames.
"By the way, the name's Mallow the tadpole, and I'm trying to put out this fire because I achieved standards to pick this job to put out fires as well as control the weather. Now why don't just give me the kid from those bone-crushing hands so I can put him to safety?"
"Piffle! You look nothing like a tadpole!" replied Bowser. "And it's MY job to save this boy! Also, I wouldn't dare to hurt him. I may not be approved, but I'm no monster!"
"Your job?" asked Mellow. "What a moron! You don't even have a badge to prove that you're actually an official hero! For now on, don't be so crazy and irresponsible and leave it to the PROS, big fella! It's not safe here!"
"Excuse me!?" replied the Koopa. "You're saying that I'm not capable of saving anyone? I'm here trying to be helpful, and yet you're doubting me just because you don't know who I am!
"Do you have a clue know what it takes to be a savior?" asked the cloud man.
"You know what, let's not argue about me and do whatever we can to save the day, shall we?" said the dragon turtle.
Suddenly, the fire was about to reach the barrels of nuclear TNT that were just placed at the entrance, foreshadowing a giant explosion.
"This can't be good," said Bowser. "How did the TNT and dynamite get there? Could it be that red-haired guy (Possibly an adult Darwin) wearing a robe I'm seeing? Come on puffy, we can't save this mansion. Really. Either we turn away or we burn away!"
"I thought you'd say that," said Mallow. Then Bowser grabbed Mallow and ran as fast as he could before the fire burned the barrels and started a massive explosion. After their escape, the mansion collapsed, leaving the wealthy family homeless. When the fire fighters came, the Koopa brought them the unconscious kid and then consoled the family; he explained how lucky they were not to be misunderstood, which surprised Mallow. Meanwhile, he did not know exactly who caused the fire and led the bombarding, but he had a feeling that it might have been someone he knew years ago.
The cloud man began to sniffle, grieving over his misjudgment of the desperate turtle. "Y-You just saved my life while I tried to save that home when it was just impossible to do. I'm sorry for doubting you in the first place," Mallow apologized, wiping his tears. "I realize that you just wanted everyone to see you differently."
"Don't fret it," said Bowser. "However, I wonder if this reminds me of my childhood, spending life with people who treat me like a monster. I'll try to let it go."
The next morning, when Bowser and Rosaria were watching TV, there was a news report focusing on Bowser saving the family at the picnic and the other from the burning mansion:
"Greetings, this is Mr. Guy speaking at Shy Guy News. There have been claims of a giant dragon/turtle/dinosaur mix that seemed to save two families: one victimized by a massive bear and another from a mansion on fire. No one knows what this guy is, but we have a hunch that he could be related to another who terrorized Apricot City years ago, just with no bandana. But are they different or one in the same? When will we know? Right now, let go see the journalist Miss Watson interviewing with the Robinsons and the Smiths."
"Good morning everyone, this is Miss Watson speaking. And I am here to ask the two families what just happened yesterday. First I will talk to Ace Robinson, who was the first person to be rescued. Tell me Ace, how did this hero save you?"
Ace replied, "First a bear tried to eat me and when I attempted to run away, I accidently slipped and fell off the cliff. When I fell, the creature caught me and brought me to my safety; after that, it protected my parents from that bear and that was the last time we saw him."
"We don't know why it saved us, but it seemed to be more distinct from the other monster with the white bandana that attacked Apricot City." said Ace's mother.
"What about you, Sandra Smith?" asked Miss Watson. "What caused the fire at home?"
"There was no way that we were the ones that caused the fire," said Sandra. "We were just having a nice party with some visitors until I saw a hooded man outside who threw a fireball at our house. As the fire spread, we tried to open the door, it wouldn't budge and it wasn't locked. I think it was some kind of black magic or something."
Bowser turned off the TV and started to wonder what would happen if he changes himself completely while preventing anyone from realizing that he was the same child who destroyed his previous home town. He felt that no one seemed to trust him despite what he did yesterday.
Chapter 8 - Re-Enter Kamek (And the Siblings)
A long time ago when Kamek's years in prison were over, he rode his broom looking for the prince when believing that he was still alive and that he faked his suicide. But no matter how hard the wizard looked, Bowser was nowhere to be found until one day, he went to the mountains in Brooklyn and saw the soon-to-be Koopa King saving Ace from a fall and defeating the bear from the cave. As a result, he secretly kept an eye on the dragon turtle that later saved the second girl from the fire; he was shocked that Bowser officially turned good. So the next day, when he figured out where Bowser lived, he knocked the door and saw Rosaria.
"Hello!" Kamek told the lady. "The name's Kamek and I am looking for a certain turtle who has been missing for years. Say, aren't you the girl from my kid's school?
"I am," replied Rosaria. She then called the giant turtle. "Bowser! Someone wants to see you!"
Bowser ran downstairs and saw Kamek at the doorway. "Kamek, is that you?" When he noticed him, he then hugged the Magikoopa when he was happy to reunite with him. "It's you, Kamek! I have missed you so dearly!"
"Me too!" replied Kamek. "I never really believed that you died from falling. When I left prison, I spent years searching, so I can help you overcome everyone and become the next Koopa King."
"Wait, did you say 'Koopa King'?" said Bowser. "How can I be the next king when there's no place for me to rule?"
"Well, one time, I visited a biome full of lava near Hawaii with a particularly small village and met your long-lost brothers and sister," responded Kamek.
"My siblings? The last time I saw them was when they were sent into a pod like me during Smash War I. I didn't know much about my sister and brothers, and you know how long I have been separated from them."
"Then would you like to revisit them, starting now?"
"I don't know. What if they don't know me anymore?"
"Don't say that, sweetie," said Rosaria. "I'm sure they still remember you in which they all miss you very much. You should go see them again."
"She does have a point," added Kamek. "I have talked to your siblings and they told me that they were longing to meet you since the separation.
"I guess I can give it a try. Now where can we find something we can ride on to go to this lava land?"
"I did buy a Koopa Car at a yard sale and it should fit you. As for me, I will use my broomstick to come with you."
"Can I come too?" asked the lady. "I would be delighted to meet your brothers and your only sister.
"Get in the car when we first see it," replied the Koopa.
When the three went outside, Kamek introduced to Bowser and Rosaria the Koopa Clown Car. It was a vehicle resembling a giant white pot with a green propeller at the bottom and a large clown face with orange lips on the front. It wasn't built for speed, but it was capable of changing its emotions and supporting Bowser's weight as well as a few bowling balls. "So that's a car?" asked a displeased Bowser. "You have got to be joking. How laughable this is. Where are the wheels? It looks like a bowl from a circus." But he and the white-haired lady got in anyway.
After a few hours of traveling, the three arrived to the lava land and visited the siblings' house. "Here goes nothing," said the dragon turtle. He knocked the door and saw his third youngest brother Johnathan Koopa.
"Hey guys, look," said John. "It's Bowser! We waited for years for this day to come!" John then introduced to his long-lost brother to the rest of his siblings from oldest to youngest: Brutus, the cook and mechanic, Hercules, the basketball player, Fireball, the guitarist, Claire, who is the only sister, Rory, the gym coach, and Rick, the photographer and second youngest. It was revealed that Bowser was among the youngest of the eight when the group gave their birth dates.
"Welcome home, little brother!" Brutus greeted Bowser. "So what happened when you were little? When we were kids, you were separated from us during Smash War I. I didn't know why you were sent to that single-person pod instead of coming with us in the bigger pod unless there wasn't enough room for all of us. Where were you when you landed?"
Bowser answered, "First, I was at Yoshi's Island which is the area where I fought against my arch-enemy Mario. When we got older, we were sent to Apricot City where there was a school to receive our education. At school, I was frequently picked on by a red-haired boy named Darwin. Not only that, I had to live with Mr. Clawful, an unsympathetic owner who treated me like a slave. Eventually, I had enough and terrorized the city. And to think I have spent my life with enough isolation and despair, I moved to Brooklyn where I lived with absolute poverty. One good thing that happened though was that I befriended this girl Rosaria who bandaged my leg when I was hurt."
"The good news is that all of the bad things are over now," said Fireball. "You're here reuniting with us, aren't you? Now why don't you stay with us for lunch?"
"What are we going to eat?" asked Bowser.
"At lunch, Bowser, his sibling, Rosaria, and Kamek were at the patio, eating Brutus's special spaghetti.
"Dig in!" Brutus exclaimed. And everyone did.
"Yummy!" exclaimed Bowser slurping the noodles. "You sure know how to make pasta, Brutus!"
"I made it extra special just for you," replied Brutus. "By adding my Dash Pepper sauce, my spaghetti will really get you running!"
Then, someone knocked the door. John opened up and saw the chief advisor.
"Good afternoon, Johnathan Q. Koopa," said the chief advisor. "I am here to give you the news that our king has resigned today and that we need someone mighty and powerful to be out next ruler. Or it could be someone inexperienced or perhaps a mere orphan desperate for a good life. The point is, we need your help to fix the problems going on with the economy and the rights of the people.
John then came back to the patio and told Bowser, "Today is going to be your lucky day because our previous monarch resigned, we're choosing you as the next ruler of Lava Land as a special treatment for your return! The government is looking for more a reliable leader who is going to improve our society, so do you think you're worthy to be king?"
"I don't believe it," said the soon-to-be Koopa King. "After all these years, I'm going to be a king. I'M GOING TO BE A KING! WHOO-HOO! THAT'S MY ULTIMATE GOAL, BABY! Wait, what about my opportunities to do good deeds?"
"That's the thing," said Hercules. "As king, you get to help monitor the village, create tons of new jobs, and help the people who need you. Everyone will LOVE you when you make the place happier than ever before. They will think that you are a hero and a good friend."
Chapter 9 – The Thumper Games
"So can you guys please teach me how to be a king?" asked Bowser.
"Can we?" said Rick. "We'll teach you everything it takes to be our next ruler ONCE you win the games. But don't assume that it's going to be easy. You will find out why."
Because of this, Bowser was put to quite a bit of training, such as extreme weightlifting, running 5 miles as fast as possible, and various forms of martial arts. When ready, he was put to the tournament later revealed to be called the Thumper Games in which the participants had to endure several bone-crushing and nerve-racking games to test their limits in order to become first place to prove worthy as king or queen; those who end up in last place would be disqualified. As the first competition, he was put in a race in which the contestants had to knock down the most walls within five minutes when sprinting. He was falling behind in the beginning, but he started to perceive the opponents and constantly accelerated and smashed down the walls faster than a wrecking ball and eventually became ahead of the rivals and won first place.
On the next competition, the contestants had to jump from one cliff to another to the finish line with the chance of falling into the river if they miss. Bowser managed to do so perfectly until he created a fault on the last platform, lost balance, and fell down, thus ending up in last place when he swam to the finish line. However, the dragon turtle was lucky; one of the competitors had to drop out when injured, so he remained in the tournament and managed to win the most contests, such as the high striker, the throwing events, and deflecting the boulders released from the catapults, although he was on par with another rival named Magnus.
When there were only two contestants left, Bowser and the one on par, the last game was a battle, where they had to fight in a rocky dome surrounded by a lava moat. First, Magnus used his fire breath right at Bowser, who dodged by jumping and curled up into a ball, rolling down to make a strike. Boom! When knocked over, he got up, charged at the green-shelled guy, and punched him in the chin! Bowser was spinning, but he hit the brakes before he tripped into the lava. Whoosh. After that, he ran and then spun his shell to whack over Magnus, who was about to perform a dashing kick. Magnus slipped and fell when his kick wasn't efficient enough. A while later, Bowser finally grabbed the now weakened Magnus to perform a diamond-shattering flying slam to flatten him like a pizza, marking his triumph. BAM! Finally, Bowser won the duel and proved to be far more formidable than his last rival, rendering him worthy to be king.
From that day on, Bowser was announced the next king of lava land when he received the most votes from the villagers on Election Day. As a result, he swore a fine oath:
"My loyal subjects, I would to thank all of you for giving me such treatment when I came back here. It is an honor for me to help all of you people and the community to promote happiness and a good life. I once made a promise to some friends that I would change who I used to be years ago so everyone could see me as a savior, or a hero. So I SWEAR, as King Bowser Koopa the First, that I will take tons of responsibility and knowledge of the feelings of the individuals for the greater good. Many need shelter. Many need food. Many need medical care. However, if you want me to help you, you need to help the inferior as well. So ask yourself this: how would you feel if you were one of the poor? Would you like the middle-class to help, or would you just assume that there is no hope, and that people are too self-centered and careless? Remember, they have feelings just like us. Even as king, I cannot just do everything alone; improving the economics, politics, and banking requires tons of men to take action as each of their knowledge is unique and beyond only a single person's when there is teamwork. Since there are many situations happening, we going fix everything to make a huge difference on this humble town and make this town a better place than before. That includes all of you, and you, and those guys from the tournament. It's practically impossible to just do nothing all day, so what do you say we start NOW?"
After the speech, hundreds of Koopa Troopas reconstructed the castle, transforming it into a dream home. Next, Bowser ran a fundraiser to provide money to the poor. And in order to fight the economic crisis, he chose to spend less on the government and gave everyone jobs. Later, banks were monitored for protection, insurance was promoted, more homes were built and agriculture and industries improved. As the village improved over time, it was eventually transformed into a fluorescent urban area named Neo Bowser City.
Later, some of the citizens visited the Koopa King's castle and gave him supplies. The first, which was a Goomba, gave him a basket full of food such as meat and grain products. Next, a Spike delivered the king a 500 thousand-dollar gift card. The third guest, a Hammer Bro., sent him a box that magically pops out fitness equipment to keep him in shape. As more visitors gave presents, the king then realized how much everyone in town loved him; it wasn't because of his looks or that he won the Thumper Games. It was because of the evolution of his character. This however, did not change the way how humans outside the home place saw him, even though the King secretly continued to save lives when not in royal duty.
Chapter 10 – Meeting Mario Again
Sometime during Bowser's first day as king, Mario and Luigi saved Brooklyn from a flood by clearing the cement from the sewers in which they became the plumbers we know today, despite getting expelled by Sergeant Kooperman from Plumbers Academy. Weeks later, Mario and Luigi was unexpectedly hired to assist a seemingly well-mannered and protective aluminum-mask-wearing boss named Lord "Volto Nascosto", which means "hidden-faced" in Italian.
"Good evening, you two," greeted Nascosto. "Why don't you go have a seat?"
Mario sat down.
"I have heard that you and your brother are one of Brooklyn's heroes now, even though Kooperman fired you."
"That's-a right," said Mario. "Luigi and I stopped the flood by unclogging the cement from the sewers. It wasn't easy, but we proved ourselves worthy as plumbers."
"I just feel like you two got your first real jobs, since you lack badges." said the masked boss.
"Actually, I first worked as a carpenter with the nickname of "Jumpman" after my extraordinary jumping abilities. During that time, Donkey Kong was once my arch-enemy who kidnapped my fiancé, who is Pauline. *blah-blah-blah-blah-blah* Next, I worked as a doctor and *blah-blah-blah-blah* Then, I became a demolition worker. *blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah* Oh, I almost forgot! Did I mention that I was a baker-"
"Shut it, you blabbering twit!" interrupted the impatient boss. "-I mean, what's more important is that you help me succeed. My job is to preserve the tranquility of humanity by protecting everyone from evil misfit immigrants."
"So how do we help you now?" asked Luigi.
"I will let you two know sooner or later via email," replied Nascosto. "Meanwhile, I've got plans to hunt someone who I hated a long time ago. You are free to go, Mario and Luigi."
Mario said, "Okey-Dokey, Mr. Nascosto. Let's-a go, Luigi."
"I wonder if we can trust that guy with the metal mask," said Luigi, feeling suspicious.
In truth, the boss was a cruel, sadistic, and tyrannical kingpin who heavily practiced prejudice on the inferior and the unusual. He was also known to deceive the elite citizens so no one would stop him from overthrowing the current president and rule the entire continent. The Mario Bros. didn't know what was going to come.
Several days later, the two plumbers decided to take a hike, which resulted in them bumping into a particularly large, muscular monarch with orange hair and eyebrows.
"So sorry, mister," apologized Mario. "We didn't really mean to get in your way."
"Accidents happen," said the orange-haired king. "Hmmm, you too look familiar, considering those caps with the first letter of each of your names on them."
"Hey, you remind me of someone as well," replied Luigi. "Let's see, you're wearing a spikey crown, a green masquerade mask, and some spiked cuffs that look comparable to what a turtle was wearing."
"Wait a minute," said Mario, pointing at the king. "…I-I-Is that you…"
There was no doubt about it. The king was revealed to be Bowser who just transformed into a handsome human. The Mario Bros. had no clue knowing how this happened.
Bowser then confessed the two, who are slowly standing back, in a poetic manner: "Don't go away! I saw the faults of my ways. I'm now a new leaf, and this is no play. I used to be a zero, like a flightless sparrow. Thanks to my 'jewels', I'm now a vast hero! Now how about you come over to my house so we could have to tea?"
"So I guess this means we're invited, even though the poem was unnecessary," said Mario. "(How did Bowser turn into a human, anyway?)"
Bowser then created a magic portal to take the Mario Bros. to his home place. When the three arrived to his castle, the king asked one of his Goomba servants to make tea for the plumbers.
"So you're a good guy now?" asked Luigi, drinking his tea. "How do we know if you're not antagonizing us like if you're always unhappy when you were little back in the island or like what you did to Apricot City? In Yoshi's Island, you tried to get everything just so you could be happy. I just want you to know that power won't make you feel good."
"I know… but you have got to trust me, you two," said Bowser calmly. "When I was abused by everyone and later lived with poverty, I finally had enough of that misery and did something about it without stealing anything. I also learned that even if I'm a monster that I "have to be", I am able to change who I am, in order to have friends so I could really be happy. It was ME who saved Ace and her family from a bear and another family from a fire. I just don't want anyone to notice my true identity or everyone will misjudge me like in the past. No one ever realized how lonely or thinned I felt after my parents died."
"…You mean Morthophelus and Cynthia Koopa from the war in outer space?" asked Mario. "We learned all about those unsung anti-heroes in the galaxy back in History class. Why didn't you tell us before that they were your parents? We would have understood."
"But I felt like you wouldn't care," said Bowser. "You know how you always defeating me all the time."
"But we would if you told us, your majesty," replied Luigi. "We never truly hated you. We just wanted to set everything right. If we actually hated you, Mario wouldn't have stopped Darwin from taking your diary when you were little."
"And just remember that your parents had no choice but to send you away because they wanted to protect you," said Mario. "Anyway, I assume that you turned human so that everyone wouldn't see you as a monster anymore."
"That's right," replied the king." And you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone else my secret identity. And if you break this promise…"
"Everyone may be afraid of you again. I know. Your secret identity is safe with us, and that is a pinky promise," averred Mario, holding up his pinkie. Now that we're all here, perhaps we can start a new friendship between all of us. For now on, we'll be there to support you while you take responsibility for your citizens if it's what you want. It's not like that you're going to turn bad again anytime soon."
"I would love that," said Bowser. "And from now on, my new identity shall be King Copper Bauman, as my old self is behind me."
Chapter 11 – What Happened Earlier: From Demon to Human
After the conversation, Rosaria, who is now Bowser's girlfriend, showed up and saw the Mario Bros.
"Rosaria," told the brawny king, "this is Mario, the plumber with the red cap. Mario, this is Rosaria, the girl from grade school.
"Mario, it's you!" the white-haired girl exclaimed, hugging the plumber. "It's been quite a while since we last met during graduation."
"I know, right?" replied Mario. "About-a five years since we last met. I'm-a have a good life so far. What about yours?"
"Great, thank you!" responded the lady. "And how are you doing so far, Luigi?
"Fine, thank you, said Luigi. "Um, can we go outside to talk? You know, just the three of us?"
"Go ahead, you three," answered Bowser. "It's good that you reunite with each other."
When Rosaria and the Mario Bros. got outside, they began to discuss privately about Bowser's apparent humanization.
"Okay," Luigi told Rosaria. "So Bowser turned himself into a human. Isn't that kind of dishonest, considering the change of looks when they don't seem true? I mean, how did he turn human?"
"That's-a what I was going to ask," said Mario.
"Allow me to explain to both of you." replied Rosaria. "Earlier, one day after Bowser became king, Kamek taught him sorcery lessons during his free time. Unfortunately, the big dragon turtle seemed to be redundant when he struggled to raise a cookie box through telekinesis."
"Grrr!" growled the King, shaking his hand. It's no use. Why can't I lift this dumb box?"
"Try to relax and do it slowly, told Kamek. "You will lift the box with ease once time comes."
"This is ridiculous. I don't know why I am learning how to use magic when I don't feel like I need them," grumbled the Koopa. "I've got strength, skills, senses, and especially focus.
"But I'm teaching you how to use magic so that you can impress your subjects and of course, turn HUMAN like how you dreamt of it," said the Magikoopa. But this isn't to hide your true identity.
"This is so that everyone in Brooklyn won't be afraid of me anymore?" asked the King.
"The thing is, I want you to be safe from others who urge to harm you until they eventually get to know you well," the Magikoopa replied.
"But what does this kind of magic have to do with me becoming a human? Can't you just teach me how to shape shift right away?"
"Like what I said, in order to do what you want with sorcery, you must first learn the basics," advised Kamek, "because jumping ahead will lead to problems beyond explanation when it comes to magic, as I learned that the hard way years ago."
"But what's point when I can't do them basics right?" groused the dragon turtle, attempting to lift the box again.
"You're only a beginner, so don't beat yourself up and just keep trying," counseled Kamek.
So Bowser did not give up and took patience to levitate the cookie container. Soon, he was able to do so, in matter of minutes!
"Well done," said Kamek. "You see what patience gets to you? If you can lift that box that way, then you're capable of turning it into a clock.
"And when will I get to transform in to a human?" asked Bowser.
"Soon," replied Kamek. "Remember, you will need to take some baby steps in order to undergo the next level."
"And so Bowser simply followed all of Kamek's directions and kept learning as each lessons slowly became more challenging over time," said the lady. "Sometime later, while the Magikoopa still did not teach the apprentice how to turn human because the training wasn't over, he decided to reward him early by giving him the spell himself."
"Whoa," said an astonished Bowser, who was now humanized, "I look different: clawless hands, squarer teeth, no horns, and an overall smaller size? I have waited so long for this to happen!"
"Remember, your majesty," said Kamek, "that you're still aren't finished with your training, which explains why I haven't taught you how to shape-shift. But since you've been working so hard, I just can't bear to leave you empty-handed for this long. So I have chosen to give you this form right away so you would know what it is like to be a human for a little bit. Now this comes with one condition: you only have until next midnight to enjoy this form, so be aware that changes will occur during your pre-wedding honeymoon."
"Honeymoon?" asked Bowser.
"That's right," answered the wizard. "I bought you and Rosaria tickets for a short vacation at Venice starting today at noon. And once your lady sees the new you, she is going to fall in deep love for sure! Not only that, everyone will no longer be afraid of you, but instead respect you for the fetching guy you are now."
"Well, since I only have until next midnight, I might as well live this life now," said Bowser.
"When I got home," said Rosaria, I was quite stunned of Bowser's alteration, although I still think he should stick to his true form and let everyone get to know him. But due to his past, I had to go with the flow."
"One day, he needs to understand that changing his ways doesn't mean that he has to change his appearance as well," recommended Mario. "Honesty isn't just about what you say, but also the appearance. Then again, he seems afraid that everyone would attack him, despite the fact that he saved two families. Mamma mia…"
The woman continued elucidating. "Anyway, on our royal honeymoon, we stayed at a really nice hotel to spend quality time together. We also went shopping, rock climbing, golfing, canoeing, zip-lining…"
"Wish I could go zip-lining," interjected Luigi. "I don't mean to interrupt, but are you the queen of this town?"
"Not yet," answered Rosaria. "I still work as an artist at Brooklyn. As I was saying, we really had lots of fun together during our vacation. Not only that, but Bowser was really gentle and polite to everyone."
"Lovely tie you are wearing," Bowser told one of the gentlemen.
"Why thank you for the complement!" replied the gentleman.
"You are very welcome!" responded the King.
"He also helped the people set up the decorations for the ball," she added.
"Yeah, with his strength to carry all of those heavy tables, trees, and thingamajigs," implied Luigi.
"So that night, you and the Koopa King were dancing together at the ballroom," suggested Mario. *narrows his eyes* "I bet you two were also kissing too."
"Dancing? Certainly. Kissing? Gee, I don't know, maybe you're right," retorted the white-haired lady. (The two indeed fell in love and kissed.) "To sum it up, we enjoyed every moment until when midnight came, Bowser was slowly reverting to his monstrous- I mean, original self."
"W-w-what's happening to me?" asked Bowser, looking at the mirror to see his horns, fangs, and claws coming back. Oh wait, it's midnight! Kamek clearly told me that this transformation is short-lived because I haven't completed my training yet!" He then turned to his girlfriend. "Rosaria, we need to go back home. Right. Away." As the two were leaving quickly, the King was slowly reverting back to his true, turtle-like self, gaining nearly everyone's attention. "Nothing to see here folks, just keep dancing," convinced Bowser, covering his face. "(Boy, do I feel like I'm Cinderella! At least I'm not losing any brittle footwear!)"
"When we got home via Koopa Car," said the white-haired lady, "we started going over the honeymoon with all the activities we've been through and well, continued to share romance with each other since the ball. After that, Bowser returned to his training with Kamek and eventually became a fully-pledged magician. Now that he knows how to shape-shift, he turns into Copper Bauman outside our home from now until then. This is to prevent everyone from recognizing the child who destroyed Apricot City ago."
"Well, I suppose that's-a fine with us," said Mario. "But the turtle should ask himself this: Outside and inside, is he is being honest to himself, whether he's a man or a monster?"
Chapter 12 – Let's-a Go to Brooklyn, Bowser
"Hey, Bowser," said John, what do you say we head to Brooklyn? I've heard that the world-famous Mario lives there. There was this one time when he and Luigi saved the place by…"
"I know," replied Bowser, "by de-clogging the cement form the sewer. I've heard about it too many times. Anyhow, I don't think Koopas are allowed in the city. I've visited there yesterday, but that was because I transformed myself. If the people see you, then they'll form into mobs and attack all of you."
"No, they won't," responded Brutus. "Everyone knows that we can't judge a book by its cover. It's what inside that counts."
"Well, that's not the case when it comes to our relationship with humans," contended Bowser. "This isn't some kind of fairy tale in which all positive outcomes just happen in opposed to reality. Even though everyone in this area admires me, some dreams still stay dreams, including the one in which humans love us. And because I, as king, have a duty to protect all of you, I cannot let you visit Brooklyn, period."
"Oh, come on bro, don't be such a worrywart! Please take us there! PLEASE!" begged Fireball.
"Don't push my buttons! No means NO!" yelled the King.
"OH, PLEASE! OH, PLEASE! OH, PLEEAASSE!" begged all of the siblings.
*sigh* "Fine," said the Koopa King. "But you guys are going to have to put on cloaks with hoods to prevent anyone from seeing you."
"I hate cloaks, they make me sweaty," Rick bellyached. "But if this is how we visit…"
And so after Bowser transformed into Copper Bauman, he and the siblings traveled to Brooklyn via Koopa Cars for the sake of thorough experience. First, they visited the café to drink coffee; this was the time when Bowser met AG and Starlow again.
"Greetings, AG," greeted the King.
"Good morning, sir," greeted back AG. "Hmm, you look familiar." Recognizing the king, the beagle then whispered to him: "I know you are Bowser. I can tell in terms of your hair color and eyebrows. But don't worry; your secret is safe with me."
"I transformed myself so no one would recognize me," whispered Bowser.
"I can see that, replied AG. "Anyway, how is life as of now?"
"I have never felt so much better in my life," spoken the King. "Things have improved since the advice you gave me about changing into who I want to be to gain friends. In fact, I am now the ruler of a city named after myself: Neo Bows- I mean, Copper City."
"I hope all of your people are living happily as long as you maintain peace," said AG.
"And did you know that it was me who saved the Smiths from a bear and the Robinsons from a fire weeks ago?"
"That explains the blurry snapshots on the news, depicting someone with a green shell and orange hair," said the barista. "You know, this has proven that you have evolved a lot compared to a long time ago. Therefore, I'm very proud of you, your Majesty.
"I bet all of the girls love you now," said Starlow.
Copper did not reply.
"By the way, are those your siblings?"
"Yes," answered Copper. "Brutus, Hercules, Fireball, Claire, Rory, John and Rick, this is AG."
"Hi, AG!" greeted the siblings.
"I can see why they are wearing hoods," said AG.
"You know how risky immigration is," said the King. "Just like in the 40s."
Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi were sent to see Mr. Nascosto for a convention.
"Hello, Mario Brothers, greeted Nascosto. "Have you taken pictures of those outsiders lately, like how I assigned you two?"
"Well, we have taken pictures of Koopas located at a continent full of lava, magma, and neon lights," said Mario. "But they don't seem vicious to us. However, according to my photos, they do tend to be a bit hardcore and…"
"That is good enough evidence that they are dangerous and that we must protect ourselves from those savages," interrupted the boss, snatching the photos. "Mario, if you see any of those fire-breathers in this city, let us know right away, and we will exterminate them."
"I don't know about that," said Luigi. "They seem to be innocent; we can't just eradicate them for who they seem to be."
"You're not thinking about betraying humankind, Luigi, are you?" asked the boss.
"Why would I betray humankind?" asked Luigi.
"Exactly," convinced the boss. "Your job is to monitor Brooklyn and protect everyone from dangerous outsiders, who may look innocent, but want to take over our lives and end our exultant lifestyle for good. This happened during Smash War I, didn't it?"
"Um, good point," gulped Mario, staring at the boss.
"Furthermore, if you two ever try to befriend those monsters, the consequences will be prodigiously severe," threatened Nascosto. "In other words, I will assassinate both of you and burn down your house. After that, ALL of your friends are next as well!"
The Mario Bros. gulped again and started sweating. "We just befriended Bowser, aka Copper Bauman. What do we do?" thought Mario.
At the meantime, when Bowser (Or Copper since he was in human form) and his siblings left the café, along with Starlow, who just joined them, they went to the cinema to watch a Pokémon movie. Unfortunately, when John yelled and took pictures during the near-end of the film, the Koopas were told to leave. "Nice one, John," Brutus complained. "Now we're going to miss the ending when we can tell whether Pikachu reunited with his trainer or not. And it's all because of you." John laughed nervously and felt ashamed. Starlow blew a raspberry at him.
After that, the nine visited the yogurt parlor to eat and refresh themselves. Fortuitously, nothing went wrong other than Hercules's minor brain freeze when eating froyo too fast; everyone just laughed. Next, they went to see the Idora Park Merry-Go-Round…only to find out that they were too heavy to ride on the horses in which they broke the carousel and that they had to hold and spin it themselves until the repairman came. Later, the group walked to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade; this was when Copper met Princess Peach for the first time since elementary school.
"You can see Manhattan from above the East River," Peach told Copper.
"I suppose that area looks pretty lively, considering the tall buildings and the really long bridge next to it," replied the orange-haired man. He then looked at the princess and thought, "Don't I remember her from elementary school?"
"It sure would be nice to live in Manhattan," said the princess. At that point, Peach looked at Copper's brothers and only sister wearing the cloaks. "I wonder who those hooded strangers are," she asked the orange-haired man.
The hooded Koopas waved. "She is one lovely princess, don't you think?" Fireball told Clare.
"…Well, um, I suppose they are my companions who work for me," Copper fibbed to the princess.
"Can I take off their hoods?" asked Peach.
"No, no!" protested Copper. "That would be a bad idea. You see, they happen to be very shy towards unfamiliar people."
"Maybe one peak wouldn't hurt," convinced the princess.
"Don't do it, please. I'm warning you!" shouted the King.
Peach was going to take off Rory's cover, but Rory stood back and held on to it. "Whoa, what do ya think you're doin'?"
"Are you hiding something from me?" questioned the princess.
"Didn't ya hear what Copper just said?" replied Rory.
Feeling suspicious, Peach followed the group leaving the Promenade. Eventually, after an extra number of various activities, at a nightclub, the Koopas were celebrating like crazy: they drank a heap of Chuckola Cola and started breakdancing like maniacs as a result of the sugar rush from the drink; for example, Claire performed a one-fingered chair flare and spun faster than a top. Later, the Koopas suddenly took off their hoods and revealed who they were to everyone, including childhood acquaintances like Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, and especially Peach; Mario and Luigi were there as well. When everybody else halted and started looking at them, the Koopas stopped dancing and froze.
"Those are the guys that I met at the promenade at Brooklyn Heights," Peach told everyone.
"Wario? Yoshi? Donkey Kong? I remember you three." Copper thought.
"Picky Pikachu! We were having so much fun that we just chose to take off our robes," said Hercules with her eyes wide open.
Everyone, except for the Mario Bros. and their friends, screamed and ran away, as a result of this chaos.
Chapter 13 - Mario and Co. To The Rescue
"Mario," said Luigi, pointing, "That's Copper and the Koopas. Nascosto told us to call if we see them. What do we do?"
Apparently, the nightclub security was the one that called Nascosto's rangers to arrest the Koopas. A few minutes later, the rangers came and pointed laser guns at the siblings.
"Eliminate those monsters!" yelled the commander.
"RUN FOR IT!" Claire screamed.
Copper Bauman and the Koopas run as fast as they could.
"Quickly!" shouted Cooper. "We must get back to the Koopa Cars!" When they got outside, the King called Kamek for help via cell phone while heading back to the Koopa Cars.
Meanwhile, in the club, Mario was coming up with an idea to get the Koopas back home safe and sound, after a moment of thinking. He told his friends, "Perhaps we can disguise ourselves as Yoshis to save Copper and those Koopas and stop the guards from attacking them."
"Okay, tell me why we should save those monsters," said Princess Peach. "They have absolutely nothing on us."
"Those monsters are actually Copper's siblings- I mean, close friends," replied Mario. "You see, I made a promise to the king that I would always support him and make sure his people are protected. Besides, those innocent Koopas need our help, and it's up to us to do the right thing for others even if they ARE brutes." He then turned to Wario. "Wario, you got those mechanical wings you invented?"
"Anything for a friend in serious trouble," said Wario. "But I'm not doing this because you said so, squirt."
Mario then talked to Yoshi, "Yoshi, can you lay us 100 mini-eggs for each of us?"
"Yoshi! (It would be my pleasure!)" the green dinosaur responded.
"Donkey Kong, do you have those coconut poppers?" Mario asked DK.
DK displayed the set of empty coconut guns.
"Luigi," Mario asked his brother, "Where are those Yoshi suits you made last week?"
"They're in this spotted box on the table," replied Luigi.
Meanwhile, outside the club...
"Quickly!" shouted Copper. "Into the Koopa Cars!"
After the Koopas started their cars, the troopers got to their starships, chased them and tried to shoot them down with lasers. Suddenly, Nascosto arrived in his own plane to join the chase. "Don't let them escape!" ordered the masked man, aiming at the Koopas. "Those horrible monsters weren't allowed to be in our city!"
Suddenly, Mario and Co., disgused as Yoshies, appeared and fired their egg guns at the combatants, resulting in some of them crashing down into the ocean. Then, the remaining planes attempted to fire at the Faux-Yoshies, but the lizards were too quick for them, thanks to Wario's high tech wings. After moments of dodging and missed hits, the Faux-Yoshis eventually managed to shoot down the rest of the planes within a few seconds; Nascosto's starship was the last one remaining.
"Sorry, Nascosto," said Mario sullenly. "This was for a special friend."
"Those egg-laying dino-breaths don't know when to quit!" roared the masked man. "I'll make them go extinct for defending those freaks!" Nascosto then started to charge up one big plasma ball right at the Faux-Yoshis, endangering them inevitably.
"Yoshi!" yelled Copper, turning his Koopa Car. He then shape-shifted back into Bowser, his true self, and took a deep breath and spit out one enormous fireball at Nascosto. The masked man evacuated from his aircraft and landed on the ocean via parachute before the vehicle blew up like a pile of dynamite and unauthorized fireworks soaked in gasoline and set by a match. Mario and his gang would have been killed if it wasn't for the unsung hero Copper. Floating on the ocean, Nascosto started to wonder, "That orange-haired man reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago, since he just turned into a Koopa and spit out that fireball."
Part 3 – The Legacy
Chapter 14 – The Confession
When the Koopas got back home from Brooklyn, the civilians expressed concern about the attack the King and the group had to undergo, especially Rosaria, who ran and hugged Bowser when she realized what happened. Furthermore, the siblings made a promise that for now on they would never interfere with the humans again unless Kamek transforms them. Meanwhile, Mario and his friends at the sky watched Bowser happily reunite with his people and started to realize something: considering the fact that he saved the Super Mario gang from that prejudical masked man, the Koopa King has indeed turned good and proved himself as an endearing guardian who wanted to protect everyone from danger. But there came some unanswered questions: "Will Bowser stay good for long?" "What was Nascosto's secret identity?" "Does that white-haired girl Rosaria seem to relate to someone who looks after Lumas?" "What really happened during Smash War?" Those questions were quite surreal, as no one could give a single answer.
Six months after Mario, his friends, and Bowser defeated Nascosto, on April 25th, there came a wedding ceremony in which Bowser and Rosaria, who Kamek turned into a Koopa, got married; unexpectedly, Mario, his gang, Armand-Guglielmo, and Starlow were there.
"Ladies and germs- I mean, gentlekoopas, we are assembled here in this ceremony to worship this moment of truth," said the Lakitu Officiant, "You see, Bowser has evolved from a brat mistreated by city humans to a confident, loyal and altruistic leader who changed all of our lives and does not let anyone push him down, regardless of his own physical monstrosity and nature. And now, we are going to see him and Mistress, or should I say Queen Silvestriano collide together. The two have known each other since elementary school, and their relationship will soon be far deeper than to the core of the Earth. The officiant turned to the King. "Bowser, do you promise to mind your manners, ignore the people who call you a beast, lay off those sweets, eat your vegetables, and treat of your lovely bride with a truckload of love once you begin your smooching?"
Everyone laughed.
"I do," answered the King.
"And Rosaria, do you promise to always look after our majesty and brothers, no matter how tough it can be? And do you promise to eventually have the humans get to know the King when time is right?"
"I do," replied the Queen.
"For now on, in this city, you two will live here as both Koopas, but when you go outside, it is compulsory that you turn into humans just in case every Tom, Dick, and Harry, the non-Koopas, may attack you if not so. Better safe than sorry, don't you think? So guys, what is true love? Perhaps I can define it in my own words. People are there when you're feeling a little down. They rearrange your face when you act like a clown. From the gift of altruism, we gain a little vigor. Therefore, energy won't stop getting bigger."
John then brought two rings with the pillow and said, "Repeat after your favorite bro, me. Don't worry; it'll only take no more than a minute. I take you to be my husband…"
Bowser took one ring, and repeated, "I take you to be my wife, and my true love. I will look after you, laugh with you, dance with you, and do my best to keep from you from any type of danger. And with this ring, I take you as my Beauty, for as long as we both shall live."
Rosaria then took the second ring, and repeated after John, "And I take you to be my husband. I will make sure that nobody ever hurts you, serve my loyalty to you, and help you make more friends of all shapes, colors, and sizes. Those are all promises. And with that ring, I take you as my Beast, for as long as we both shall live."
"I have nothing else to say here," said the Lakitu Officiant. "You may start your pecking!"
Finally, Bowser and Rosaria put on their rings and kissed, resulting in a massive applause. After the ceremony, Mario introduced the couple to his friends. "Your majesties," he said, "it's about time you meet all of my friends: Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, Peach, Daisy, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and a special visitor named Rudy Clawful. Remember most of them from elementary? We were also the False Yoshis who saved your siblings from those rangers at Brooklyn." He then turned to his buddies, "Say hello to the two!"
Everyone waved. Rudy took of picture of the married couple.
"Hello, Rosaria, or should I say…Clawsaria," Peach greeted the bride. "Remember when we used to be best buddies at school?
"I certainly have," replied the bride, who shape-shifted back into her human form. "Back in high school, we used to be baseball players, strikers, and cheerleaders who worked together all the time. Along with Daisy, we also ate together, walked together, and played together. We did everything together!"
"There is nothing like the power of teamwork," said Daisy.
"It's a pleasure to reunite with all of you guys, and thank you for saving my brothers and only sister," said the King. "But why did you dress up as Yoshis to rescue us? What if you didn't?"
"We dressed up as Yoshis so that Volto Nascosto wouldn't see us as outlaws," explained Peach. "And if we didn't disguise ourselves, we would've gotten arrested for 'high treason'. You see, Nascosto really hates Koopas, mainly due to your rather hardcore and considerably unrefined nature."
"Nascosto hates Koopas?" said Rosaria. "That sounds a lot like my red-haired ex-boyfriend back in the days of school."
"And my uncle who worked for the orphanage," added Rudy.
"And don't you guys remember how I treated all of you when you were infants?" replied Bowser.
"Well, if we were the ones being attacked even as VILLAINS, you would have saved us as well due to our feelings," said Luigi.
What Luigi just said made Bowser reminisce what Mario said years ago, when the plumber stood up against Darwin for the Koopa:
"Wow! Do you know what this means, turtle trog?" asked Darwin reading the Prince's diary. "You have no family today! They abandoned you because they hated you for a monster you are!"
Suddenly, Mario showed up and saw Darwin with Bowser's diary. "Give back his book, Darwin Kurosawa," he told the red-haired boy in a serious tone.
"Mario?" asked Darwin. "What are you doing here? This is something you should stay out of."
Mario gave Darwin a stern look. "It doesn't matter whether someone's a monster or not, if you are going to pick on this orphan, make sure he's your size. Now return the diary to the owner."
"Mario, why did you help me?" asked Bowser, "I always hated you since we were babies," Bowser told Mario.
"Sometimes, you got to help your enemies in need," said Mario. "They have feelings just like all of us."
"Before you saved my siblings, you were the one who made that red-haired bully bring back my diary in the past," the King told Mario.
"That's-a correct," replied Mario.
"And not only that I saved two families, one from a bear and another from a fire, but I also saved you guys when that masked man, who was about to blow you into dust."
"I guess this is passing it along, don't you think?" responded Mario.
Meanwhile, Rudy Clawful left the gang and hid himself behind a tree. Then he called Mr. Nascosto and told him, "Sir, I have found out who were the faux Yoshis during that assault a while after now."
"Who were they?" asked Nascosto.
"Mario and his gang," answered Rudy. "I don't have proof, but I will look for them sooner or later."
"Good," replied the boss. "The next time I see those Mario Bros, we'll have a very calm discussion about this incident even though they just stopped working for me."
Chapter 15 – One Big Family
Eight months after the marriage, and that the white-haired queen relocated her job as an artist to her homeplace, Bowser and Rosaria (aka "Clawsaria" in her Koopa form) gave birth to Bowser Jr. and officially became parents. But unlike Bowser's parents, they made a promise that they would never send away like during the war. During the child prince's development, Bowser and Kamek taught BJ how to breathe fire and use magic, similar to how Kamek taught the King, whereas Clawsaria taught him drawing lessons as well as life lessons. Sometimes, Brutus often visited his nephew and taught him how to invent technology and mechanics.
Sometime after Bowser Jr.'s first birthday, Bowser transformed into Copper Bauman once again to visit Brooklyn. There, most of the people welcomed him for all of the lives he helped over the months, if not everyone. For example, after saving the Robinsons and Smiths, he had defended a boy from a group of bullies at an alley; this reminded the King of how he was picked on years ago. Also, he had rescued Mirth Peepers, the Duck Hunt Dog, from a group of crocodiles from the swamp; the canine was revealed to be AG's brother, who recently stole the duck statue from the café. Eventually, the dog returned the statue to the rightful owner. Furthermore, Copper saw Sonic the Hedgehog drowning in a lake with one leg injured from a rock. So using his magic skills, he had a lifesaver pop out on his hands, quickly dived into the water, gave the speed demon the life saver to grab, and swam back to the dock. After that, he recovered the hedgehog's leg with a healing spell, loosely reminiscent of the time when Bowser's wounded leg was mended by Rosaria in the childhood years.
"Thanks for saving me, buddy," Sonic told Copper. "You see, I when came here looking down to see the scenery, some hooded guy with red hair kicked me in the leg with metal boots, and that's how I fell from the rock face with a damaged leg. It seems to me that outsiders aren't wanted."
"Wait, did you say 'hooded guy'?" asked Copper. "If you see ever him again, let me know and I'll put an end to his dirty tricks once and for all."
"One more thing, how did you recover my leg like that?" asked the blue hedgehog.
"An old friend taught me," answered Copper.
On this afternoon, Copper found seven boxes at a private support group ran by Boom Boom. Inside the boxes were toddler Koopas known as the Koopalings. Their names from oldest to youngest were Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa.
"What are you doing here, looking at us like we're monsters?" asked Boom Boom.
"I just want to take a look of those innocent kids," answered Copper. "They seem to have no parents."
"That's because their parents have been killed from humans like you," said Boom Boom. "And now, all I have left are these cousins of mine. Before then, we lived happy lives, minding our own business while my cuzes here were being nurtured by their parents, Morton and Courtney Koopa. And then, one day, there came a Koopa Season, in which many of us were being poached for our skin and money! We told them to leave us alone because we didn't do nothin', but the hunters refused and poisoned the Koopalings' parents because they ain't got no speck of mercy on us. They hated us for our nature, the guys we are and what we do best for a living! I hope you're happy about what you've done because not all us are necessarily evil. We were all misjudged, based on some kind of battle from outer space. I guess when few of us do something really bad, we all become rotten eggs! Now, unless you are willing to make a change and adopt all of these youngin's, you better scram before I take you to a cruise for a bruise!"
"I heard all about this incident before," replied Copper. "I ensure you that I am not like the hunters that killed my cousin Morton Koopa Sr. and his wife. In fact, I'm actually a Koopa disguised as a human so that I wouldn't get in trouble with everyone else."
"How do I know if you ain't lying to me?" asked Boom-Boom.
"Perhaps this will give you an answer," retorted the King, bringing out his Koopa Crown. "I got this when I was elected as ruler."
Boom Boom then faced the Koopalings and asked, "Kids, what do you think, should we trust this guy over here?"
"I believe you, mister," Larry Koopa told Copper. "So can you please be our dad? We're all cold, lonely, and starving, and we need someone to take care of us."
"The only food we eat is what one of us snatches from garbage cans," lamented Ludwig.
"Not only that, we also had to sleep in these filthy boxes," groaned Morton.
"And worst of all, we always have to remain hidden or else we're dead meat!" yipped Iggy.
"Nobody ever messes with a Koopa," said Copper. "You kids deserve a family, and I shall give you one! And once I see those hunters who attacked your parents, I'll give them a piece of their mind!"
So Copper took Boom Boom and the Koopalings to his castle, shape-shifted back into Bowser, and introduced the kids to Clawsaria, Kamek, and ultimately, Bowser Jr, who instantly painted the Koopalings as a welcome gift.
"Koopalings," said Bowser, "Make sure you treat everyone nicely, especially our son Junior, who is the prince of this city. For now on, this will be your new home. Hmm, perhaps each of you can tell us all of the things that you like?"
"I like to play sports, like football and soccer," said Larry.
"I want to run a TV talk show when I grow up!" exclaimed Morton Jr.
"Ice skating and swimming are what interests me," spoke Wendy.
"I can invent gadgets, designed for a romp! And it would be nice if I owned a Chain Chomp," said Iggy. "Wait, did I mention that I love poetry?"
"I want to wrestle and ride on a skateboard," said Roy.
"I want to join the circus," said Lemmy, "where I can juggle and balance on a bouncy ball."
"And I have desires of playing the piano, because I enjoy listening to classical music," verbalized Ludwig. "One day, I could compose my own music, entitled "Koopa Symphonies".
"So let me get this straight," said Bowser. "So it's sports, TV hosting, swimming, mechanics, wrestling, the Big Top, and music. You kids sure have big dreams as ex-orphans. So when you put your mind to them, there's no problem big enough to run away from."
Since that day, Bowser sent the Koopalings to programs focused their individual desired talents. As for Bowser Jr. however, he remained homeschooled by his dad, but with extra underpinnings from his siblings. Eventually, the Kooplings became talented genii, and and as a result, Bowser ran a talent show that focused on the competences of the kids. As for Iggy, he was given a pet Chain Chomp as a special gift.
Chapter 16 –Volto Nascosto in the Mushroom Kingdom
A year after Bowser adopted the Koopalings, after the failed attempt of killing Bowser and his siblings, Nascosto and his crew left Brooklyn after they were marked as outlaws by all of the citizens since his unjust acts such as posting prejudicial propaganda, assassinating a group of non-humans, and blockading immigrants from various countries to "save" his people. As they were escaping, they entered to a Warp Pipe to the Mushroom World When the masked man and his subjects arrived at the Mushroom Kingdom, he dethroned Peach's father by knocking him unconcious and become king; Peach's home place was the perfect habitation to take over to get exact revenge on the Toads and Koopas, who originated here.
"Everyone, I am your new ruler now," Nascosto announced to all of the Toads. Peach's father King Toadstool is no more! For now, you will all serve me and make sure that you treat all of us humans with respect. It's time to understand how we felt when we were defeated by you Toads with the help of those freakish Koopas we all feared! And if any of you disobey me, you will be SEVERELY PUNISHED!"
"So what's going to happen to our rights?" asked a red Toad.
Nascosto then lifted the Toad and choked him through telekinesis. "Fool! You dare to starve for my power? DO YOU? Ask for freedom of any form, and next time, I will break your bones like a toothpick! I have learned black magic for years, therefore no one can get in my way, whether its signs or violence!" The masked man then threw the Toad to a mud puddle.
"Don't make the masked man mad, guys!" advised Rudy Clawful.
All of the Toads were afraid of Nascosto especially the fact that he was a black magician. Since the invasion, the masked man enslaved all of the Toads and put rules against Koopa supporters and reinforced them through the threats of extreme torture so everyone would obey him.
Meanwhile, at home, during bedtime, Bowser was having a surreal nightmare: First, he was trying to save his parents Morthophelus and Cynthia Koopa, from a black hole, which contradicted the real causes of their death, which was a nuclear Banzai Bill.
"Save us, son!" begged Bowser's father, becoming imbibed.
"Mom, Dad, Grab this rope!" screamed Bowser, giving his arm. The parents managed to grab the rope, but then, a giant shadow came to kick Bowser from the cliff to join his parents' fate. Before it did, it transforms into Darwin Kurosawa, Bowser's childhood enemy, except that he looked more demonic. When the giant monster bully knocked the Koopa over, he cackled at him and told him, "You were born a monster and monsters are never met to live good lives! So long, freak!" When Bowser entered the vortex along with his parents, there was absolutely nothing to see except for his own body. He had also realized that his parents disappeared even though he had joined them. Then, a ball of roaring fire appeared and got closer the Koopa King. At first, Bowser thought he was to burn into charcoal, but the "fire" turned out to be a tunnel to a series of exemplifications of his worst memories. First, a colony of particularly large bats, with heads of the childhood bullies chased the Koopa.
"Hey look, it's that ugly frog, the one that we all hate!" called the George-Bat. "Get him!"
"Get away from me!" cried Bowser, running away. While on the trot, the floor suddenly transformed into a tongue of a giant Yoshi head, who was angrily staring at the dragon turtle.
"Remember the time when you kidnaped Luigi and the other babies or the time when you stole the cookies and the Super Happy Tree in my home, King Bowser Koopa?" said the giant Yoshi head. "You must pay for all of your wrongs!"
"I only wanted to have some friends!" sobbed the Koopa. "I didn't mean to harm any of you! I was all lonely! No one in the world ever cared about me! But I have changed to be a better person, so PLEASE show me mercy! I'm begging you!"
"Who wants to friends with a monster like you?" hissed one of the bats. "Nobody cares if you're all lonely and miserable even if you're good!"
The Yoshi head then ate Bowser, who entered another realm, which was a colossal fire-surrounded boxing ring. There, the king meets a giant Mr. Clawful with boxing gloves, and the audience holding anti-Bowser signs.
"Get ready to creamed, freak!" roared the cougar. "You destroyed Apricot City out of house and home and now it's time to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"
"N-N-N-O-O-O-O-O-O!" screamed the miniature Bowser.
Mr. Clawful then kicked Bowser up and performed an uppercut to send him to a hungry Piranha Plant on the ceiling, which ultimately ate the king, marking his supposed demise.
Precipitously, Bowser woke up and took heavy breaths, realizing that he's back to the real world.
Then, Rosaria got up as well and asked his husband with concern," What's wrong, honey? Now take a deep breath and-"
"I-I-It was terrible!" shrieked the king. Then, he quickly explained, "In my nightmare, I was trying to save my deceased parents from a black hole, but a giant Darwin kicked me there and then I was chased by giant bats. Next, a giant Yoshi head yelled at me for kidnapping the Star Children and soon ate me. And then, on a battle ring, I was in a death match with Mr. Clawful, who knocked me away to get eaten by a Piranha Plant, so I-" He then confessed, "Hon, I still feel like I'm the same horrible monster who was never meant to be."
"But you're not," replied Bowser's wife. "Now, that was just a nightmare that is based on your past, not today. It's time that you let it go and move on, dear."
"How?" asked the husband.
She answered, "Remember all of those times when you did everything to prove that you've capable of doing something good, like when you caught that laughing dog that stole AG's statue or healed Sonic's leg. We all love you not because of your nature or what you look like. It's because you changed to be someone better in terms of your choices."
"I know that a lot of people love me now," said the King, "But I'm not sure if the humans will stay that way if I reveal my true form to them. I wonder if there's some kind of prophecy."
"I believe it's time we go to Brooklyn to show everyone your true identity so they will understand who much you've changed over the years," Rosaria suggested. "That way, they will change how they used to see your own kind. Just think about it."
"But I'm scared," whimpered Bowser. "I can't risk letting anyone remember the person I was as a child."
The wife replied, "You'll never know what can happen, until you give it try. And Mario promised to be there for you if anything wrong happens."
Bowser then took some time thinking about it. At ten o' clock PM, Bowser, who just transformed into Copper, Rosaria, Mario, and Luigi went to Brooklyn to reveal to everyone the king's true identity. First, Mario made an announcement:
"Ciao a tutti! (Hello, everybody!) It's-a us, Mario, Luigi, Rosaria, and Copper! Today, I would like to make a presentation about Copper Bauman, as special thanks for all of the good deeds he had done over time! Remember the time when he fought a group of criminals who tried to-"
The announcement was interrupted when Princess Peach and one of the Toads appeared from a Warp Pipe to bring out urgent news.
"Mario! Luigi!" cried Toad. "This is an emergency! A masked magician has taken over the Mushroom Kingdom and now he's going to turn us all into slaves! And he'll exterminate those who want freedom!"
"Not only that, but he's also taking my father hostage!" added Peach. "You've got to save him and all of the Toads! Please!"
"Perhaps it's Volto Nascosto who is responsible for this situation," said Luigi. "Come on gang, let's-a move!"
"Rosaria, stay here where you'll be safe," Copper told his wife. "This is something far too dangerous for you to deal with."
The Mario Bros., Copper, Peach, and Toad quickly entered the Warp Pipe to the Mushroom Kingdom only to be caught by Nascosto's guards. As a result, they were sent to the castle to encounter the masked dictator at the throne room for a talk.
"Greetings, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and of course, Copper," said the masked man. "Have all of you noticed something?"
"You're wearing a crown," said Mario.
"That's right, I'm the king now!" barked Nascosto. "When I have failed to convince everyone that all outsiders are bad, I knew I lost my opportunity to become president of the US. And remember the time when the Smiths' mansion was one fire? It was one of my subjects who threw a torch at the house and placed the TNT in order to have an old enemy save the Smiths only to be lured to a trap! But like how I tried to 'protect' the citizens by blockading the foreigner creatures, that scheme had somehow backfired. So when I had discovered the Warp Pipe, this was my opportunity to get my revenge on the misfits, especially those spikey-shelled, bull-horned Koopas, aka, the Kooportentum Reges! That's Latin for the scientific name 'Koopa monster kings'. Anyhow, Rudy told me that you plumbers betrayed me in order to save an old enemy, based on the evidence me."
"He did what?" asked Mario.
Rudy Clawful showed up and snarled, "That's right, traitors! I've been spying on you for the whole time! First of all, I showed my master pictures of you and your gang gathering with the Koopas in a friendly way during the wedding. I also told him that you disguised yourselves as Yoshis so wouldn't be caught deceiving us. I met a psychic who figured out that you did, but I think we already got the main idea. No wonder why you two quit working for us. If only if my uncle could see this."
"You never should have come here to stop me!" Nascosto told the gang. "Since I have become a formidable black magician, I have the power to teleport you to prison! BWA HA HA HA! Guards, stand back! Let me do my magic!" The masked man then put a spell to send the intruders except Copper to the dungeon. As for Peach, she was put in a bird cage.
"As for you, Copper Bauman, or should I say, King Bowser Koopa," said the xenophobic Nascosto, "it's time that we have a special arrangement together!"
"Wait, you know what my true identity is?" asked Copper? "But how did you?
The masked kingpin answered, "When we attempted to attack you and your siblings, you transformed into your true form in order to fire at me to save Mario and his gang."
"Gosh, darn it," groaned Copper. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"What a fool you are! Prepare to fight, beast in disguise!" declared the kingpin. "This will determine whose lights will shut off for good! And once I slaughter you, I will let everyone know who you really are!"
"I accept your challenge," said Copper.
"Be careful, Copper!" yelled Peach in one of the cages.
"Silence!" roared Nascosto.
And so the duel began. First, Nascosto shot lightning from his hands to electrocute the orange-haired man, who, in response, formed an invisible barrier to shield himself.
Then, Copper threw a fireball at the masked man, but Nascosto suddenly vanished and soon reappeared behind his opponent. Next, he summoned Rock Goombas and Lakitus and ordered them to attack Copper. As a response, the orange-haired man wielded a flood of various sharp weapons through telekinesis and aimed at the enemies, knocking them all one by one.
"You'll have to do better than that, Nascosto," said Copper.
Later, the fight soon became more physical when Copper hurtled and attempted to perform a flame-enchanted uppercut at Nascoto's chin. The masked man then dodged and counter-punched him in the cheek. Next, the orange-haired man front kicked the dictator's leg, causing him to fall. The kingpin got up, magically conjured a bat and hit Copper in the head with it. However, Copper survived the hit and tackled the dictator, and the two clasped hands while rolling. After several moments of combat, magical and physical, Nascoto was finally weakened, taking deep huffs. Finally, Copper transformed back into Bowser and finished him off with one last uppercut using all of his force, in which his opponent's mask lightly flew off, revealing his true identity. When Copper first saw Nascoto unmasked, his eyes widened and started to recognize a certain face.
"N-N-No, it couldn't be," said Bowser, shocked. "I recognize that red hair; it's you…Darwin Kurosawa!"
There is no doubt that Nascoto's true identity was none other than the Bowser's childhood enemy who frequently abused him in elementary school. The grown-up Darwin got up, laughed and said calmly, "Surprise, Bowser. You know, your breath stinks so badly for a king that it makes me feel like I'm living in a dump! Nonetheless, you tried to be good, and here, you have fought me well. Perhaps now you should let me explain my backstory. Years ago, my parents participated in Smash War I, the time when your parents died. My parents and I were part of the Tabo, a high-ranking sub-organization of the Teologo Federation that fought against the beastly Kooportentum Reges, supported by the weird Toads and all of those other creatures. When those Koopas defeated us, we lost nearly everything. Hundreds of us were killed, our homes were destroyed and worst of all, we were somehow expelled by Grand Master Alexandra, the auxiliary of the previous leader Princess Rosalina. We didn't know why we were kicked out, even though the Koopas were the bad guys, but we learned about a widely-known prophecy that you will long live a depressing and devastating life and grow up to become the greatest and most powerful evil of all time."
"But why?" asked Bowser. "I already turned good. I've saved families, helped my people, and I'm raising eight children."
"The prophecy still stands, no matter if you're living happily now, raising kids, or rescuing many lives," said Darwin. "You realize that this is a special fate 'explicitly predicted' by the Lumas and all of the other stars in the galaxy."
"But I can avoid this 'fate', can't I?" argued the turtle. "Please tell me that it's too good to be true."
Darwin finished, "Since the Lumas are NEVER erroneous, this fate is something that you cannot avoid. And once you become evil, then all of your species will, giving us more reason to kill them besides their murderous and hardcore nature. That is to get even and so you would have no one to help you with your plans of taking over planets in the future."
Suddenly, a mob of Toads, Koopas, Goombas, Boos, Yoshies, Birdoes, Ninjis, Penguins, Ukikis, Monty Moles, Bumpties, Shy Guys, Bob-ombs, and mice showed up holding signs of rebellion.
"So you must be Darwin Kurosawa, one of the members of the Tabo," said one of the Toads. "You know, I believe that the mask grants you magic powers. And without that mask of yours, you wouldn't be able to perform black magic on us anymore, and that you wouldn't have any real power over us. We've been doing research lately." The Toad then smashed the aluminum-textured mask.
"No!" screamed Darwin, "Not my source of magic! I'm powerless without it! You don't realize who you're listening to!"
"Come on guys, said one of the Goombas. "Let's show him what we're really made of!" The mob threw baseballs, eggs, wrenches at the red-haired man and the troops. Some of the civilians, in the meantime, went downstairs, tackled the guards, and set Mario, Luigi, and Toad free from the dungeon. Then, the Ukikis climbed to the cage and broke with pliers from the Monty Moles to get the princess to escape. While the mob continued to attack Darwin and his troops, Mario, Luigi, and Bowser escaped to the Warp Pipe back to Brooklyn. Since they only had one Pipe Seed left, they were unable to visit the Mushroom Kingdom anymore.
When Bowser has finally revealed to everyone in the city his true form, he received frozen reactions; all of the people just stared at him like owls.
At that point, Rosaria stated, "Please don't run away from him. I swear that he has changed dramatically over the years. Just think about the time when he saved Sonic who was drowning in lake or when he donated $4,500 for charity for the people living in poverty."
"And remember when he demolished nearly all of Apricot City when he was a child?" disputed one of the citizens.
Suddenly, Sonic showed up and added, "We all know that happened years ago. But listen to us. This dude here putting all of his efforts to change himself so that you wouldn't see him as a monster anymore."
"But there's this widespread prophecy about Bowser becoming the greatest evil in history," claimed Pauline. "It's said to be a dark fate that cannot be proven wrong."
This had made Bowser realize why back then, he was kicked out from the nest by the stork, who indicated "darkness" in him. Regardless of his good deeds, everyone still considered him a beast not only because of his nature or appearance, but also because of the "inevitable" prediction of him turning bad again.
"Trust us!" said Mario. "Bowser really is trying to redeem himself in this huge length!"
"You know what? I just can't believe that we trusted this monstrosity!" yelled a man. "Redeeming yourself won't change your fate, Bowser! Everyone, get him!"
All of the citizens began to chase the Koopa King, who along with his wife got in the Koopa Car and escaped back to home. From that day on, the two never visited Brooklyn again, since the fatal mistake of revealing the King's true identity. However, the citizens on Neo Bowser City were to remain seeing the dragon turtle as a hero.
Chapter 17 - Bowser Jr. and the Hunters (Narrated by the Character of the Same Name)
Hiya! Bowser Jr.'s the name, and I will be writing and narrating this chapter in this backstory of Pa's. This is about me, at the age of two, and the Koopalings attempting to comfort my dad by defeating the hunters he left when he was marked as the "chosen one" and that he integrated the Teologo forces for over a year… *breaks the fourth wall* wait, am I SPOILING THE STORY? Pardon me, I didn't mean to spill the beans for you guys.
Since a riot against my dad in Brooklyn, we were all told never to go to Brooklyn because of some kind of insight about Dad turning evil or something like that. However, a day later, AG and Starlow just somehow came to our town and visited us in our castle despite what happened in the human city.
First, AG the beagle rang the doorbell and said, "Anybody home? It's me, AG."
I opened the door and replied, "What is it that you want?"
"Is your dad home?" asked the beagle.
"He's in the master bedroom," I said. "But he told me not to let anyone in after what happened in Brooklyn."
"Which is why I want to talk to him about it," spoke AG.
AG arrived to the door of Bowser's bedroom and knocked. "Bowser, are you there?" he said quietly.
"Just go away, whoever you are," replied my dad. "Get lost before I go T-REX on you like you never experienced for your whole life!"
"It's me, AG," responded to beagle. "Shouldn't we talk?"
"Go away and never come back!" barked Pops.
"Dad, he wants to talk to you because he cares about you," I said when I came along.
Dad opened the door. "So, have you realized what good deeds get to me? I did everything I could to redeem myself, and yet no one trusts me not just because of my nature but also due some crazy prediction by the Lumas!"
"I understand how everyone still see you as the same monster as before," replied AG. "But think about what you've done for those individuals, including your civilians in this land, over time. Trust me, big fella; there was no one in the city that did more good deeds than you. I would say that it's normal that you can't please everyone in the world, but there are some people who appreciate what you did, so you should appreciate yourself as well."
"Not only that," I added, "But you also brought me brothers and a sister, who remind me of my aunt and uncles; for example, I'm the youngest of my generation while you're the youngest of yours. You know, Dad, not a lot of people are willing to adopt kids and take good care of them."
"You're right, son," said Dad. "Those Koopalings needed a home after their birth parents were hunted. But it doesn't change the prophecy in which I turn bad at the end, does it?"
"I'm actually not sure about this so-called prophecy," said AG. "You know you can't predict the future based on assumptions. In fact, the only way to predict it is to create it. And if is predicted by the Lumas, then it's possible that they made a mistake. After all, there is no proof that the Lumas are never wrong, considering that my extraterrestrial friend Lubba, a purple Luma, just failed an engineering test last week; he ended up with a 40 out 100."
"Oh really?" asked Dad.
"He sure did," replied AG, "because he just spent time with media when he was told by a fortune teller that he'll 'ace' the test. The point is that no one can really predict the future for sure. If you just keep doing the right thing, then perhaps you'll prove everyone wrong that you'll turn bad and that you'll be truly seen as a trust worthy person.
After the discussion, I went out to see if I could do good deeds like my dad, who was responsible and helpful. As I went for a walk, I heard a gunshot at the park followed by two Koopas running. As a result, I came back home to talk to the Koopalings about the gunshot I just heard outside:
"Guys, I heard some kind of loud pop at the park," I told my siblings.
"Maybe we should go check it out," said Iggy.
"Wait, couldn't that noise come from one of the hunters' weapons?" asked Ludwig. "I remember when the poachers killed our parents when we were babies."
"I miss our old parents," sighed Morton, "especially our Dad, who was named before me."
"Well, maybe if we try to defeat those hunters, we could avenge your old parents and that we can make our Dad proud and that he'll feel better," I swayed.
"I don't know about that," said Wendy. "Wouldn't it be dangerous to face a group of people with weapons that can seriously harm us?"
"That's why we've got to use stealth," I replied. "First, we'll sneak in and hide in the bushes and trees, where the poachers are located. And when the timing is right, we'll pounce over the hunters with our visceral strength, burn their weapons and bring them to court!"
"That plan sounds juvenile, but I guess that could work, if we don't get caught," said Larry. "Hmm…Iggy, do you have that pet of yours?"
So the Koopalings and I went outside, secretly followed the pursuers, and at times hid under the bushes to avoid getting caught. We also brought Iggy's Chain Chomp to defend us, requested by Larry.
"Has this place developed over the years?" said one of the hunters. "It looks all fancy."
"I've noticed, but who cares?" replied the second hunter. "What matters more is that we capture some of those freakish monsters to make money and get famous. And remember that prophecy about Bowser turning evil…Hunting equals less assistants for the king's bad deeds!"
When they were about to activate one of their contraptions, which was a cube that releases a high-tech beam net to snare the target within a few seconds, Morton apparently showed up without our approval and attempted to charge at the hunters:
"Hey, stinkbrains! Remember when you hunted my father?" roared Morton, sprinting.
"No, Morton! Not yet!" we yelled.
As a result, he was caught by the net when the hunters stood back from him.
"Help me!" cried Morton.
Consequently, we were all observed by the poachers, so they activated another gadget that released detaining energy bolts used to strap all of us and then hold us into a six-sided energy field. Our Chain Chomp tried to charge at the men, but she was captured as well.
"It looks like we hit the jackpot, don't you think, Jerry?" said the hunter with the red sunglasses.
"Indeed we did, Chuck," replied Jerry. "Let's get back to our truck where we'll give these scaly twerps in exchange of those bucks.
"HELP!" we all cried.
Later, Dad went outside after the conversation with AG and become terrified when he spotted us being kidnapped by the hunters.
"It's those hunters that killed Morton Sr. and Courtney!" he screamed. "And now they have my kids!"
Dad was quickly chasing the truck to rescue all of us, but then, the hunters noticed him and activated cannons from the truck that blasted Bob-ombs. Then, Dad deflected the explosives away, before they exploded.
"Dang it!" barked Jerry. "Those legged bombs won't do!"
"You go, Dad!" I cheered.
Next, Chuck brought a poison arrow gun and managed to shoot Pops; at first, we were distraught, but astonishingly, the arrows didn't work on our father as he was revealed to be COMPLETELY RESISTANT to toxins of all kinds.
"Shoot me as much as want," growled Papa, running, "But that's not going to kill me if you ask me. Give back my kids!"
"Never!" cried Chuck. "Those kids are for our prize money, and you'll do nothing to stop us!"
Later, Dad spit a fireball to destroy the tailgate, in which we started flying away in the energy cages from the truck to the ground. There, he freed us by using his fire breath to deactivate the cages to set us free. After that, the hunters stopped the truck, got out with their tazers and planned to electrocute him, but Dad became enraged and attacked the hunters. After the battle literally involving sticks and stones, he told them this: "It was terrible enough that you have killed the Koopalings' former parents. And if you murderers ever try to harm my kids again, I swear that I will perform far worse. Now leave this place and never come back!"
"O-O-Okay," wept Jerry.
After the hunters ran away, Dad sent us all home for a long talk.
"Don't you ever face anyone dangerous like that again," scolded Pops. He then turned to the Koopalings. "Koopalings, those were the same poachers who killed your old parents! Do you realize how likely you were to end up with a fate similar to theirs?"
"We're very sorry about what happened," I apologized for my siblings, looking down. "The reason why we were after those hunters is because we wanted to make you proud and forget out how the humans see you now…and of course, avenge my sibling's former parents."
"Ohhh," sighed Papa. In a calmer tone, he added, "Look, you all realize that instead of getting revenge on someone, it's best to use emotive impassivity and arrangement because attacking them won't make you feel better. And if you kids want to make me happy, then do it by staying safe and starting with something simple, like doing well in class or even giving anyone in need something nice. Doing something too big, or too impractical of a job, will lead to major problems if you aren't able to handle it. I would hate to lose all of you since my parents sent me away years ago."
"Our grandparents what?" I asked.
"That's correct," replied Dad. "Ever since they sent me away, I felt kind of lonely without anyone to love, kind of like how seven of you felt when your mother and father were gone. And that's why I don't want to leave you children like what my parents did in space, *turns to me* especially not you, Junior. One day, you'll become the next king when I retire. And that's what would ultimately make me feel better."
"But will I turn evil, like what you may become?" I asked.
Dad answered. "Not in a fixed time, since the Lumas never predicted anything negative about you."
Chapter 18 - The Chosen One
A week has passed since Bowser last mentioned anything about the humans outside home, despite being visited by the beagle. Not only that, his appetite decreased as he gave up snack time and desserts, he spent far less time with his siblings, even John, and he suffered from insomnia, in which he frequently received nightmares focused on being treated like a monster by all of the humans; all of his activities were aggravated overall. Since these symptoms of the king's recent depression, all of his citizens have been giving him various presents like flowers and chocolate, signifying how much they appreciated him. This made the dragon turtle feel considerably better, but nonetheless, he was still sad.
Far along, he received a titanium-textured letter, which contained a sheet of graphene, an atom-thick crystalline allotrope of carbon known for its near-indestructibility. This sheet "turned on" and showed a picture of a Teologo symbol and a surreal message about "someone special" going to visit "the chosen one". On the next day, a mystery ship landed and there came a secret human agent whose goal was to recruit the Koopa King.
The King got outside and asked, "Who the heck are you?"
The agent answered, "You'll find out sooner or later. First, come with me."
But before Bowser obeyed and slowly entered the ship, everyone including Clawsaria, John and the siblings arrived to see the king leave.
"Where are you going, lil' bro?" asked John. "Don't tell me that this farewell is permanent."
"Relax, sir," The agent told John. "He's not going away forever…for now, at least."
"Are you sure you can trust that guy, your majesty?" asked one of the Koopa Troopas.
"Well, it's worth a try," said the dragon turtle. "I have no idea when I'm coming back, though, but this is probably for the greater good, that's for sure. Everyone, promise me that nothing will go wrong while I'm gone."
"We'll do whatever we can to maintain control," replied a Lakitu. "For right now, you should join that fellow and find out what's going to happen next."
Bowser entered the ship slowly. Inside the ship, he was welcomed by more members who turned out to be Toads and a few humans.
"The name's Ben," said the first agent. "That graphene letter you received was a secret invitation to the headquarters."
"It said something about the 'chosen one', but I'm not sure if it's me," said Bowser. "I mean, it could've been a mistake since everyone sees me as a bad guy."
You are invited because you ARE the chosen one," replied Ben. "It's no mistake, and we'll discuss more when we arrive at the headquarters."
Eventually, the ship arrived at the secret Teologo Local Control Center where exclusively-considered subjects were brought to special training to become full-pledged heroes. Whenever the trainees graduate and receive their Teologo license, they were to be sent to the mainstream organization in outer space where they are assigned missions taking place in various galaxies to restore peace.
"Mr. Koopa, we have sent you here because you have lots of potential in supporting the forces, based on the reports on television." said Agent Ben. "And based on the videos the secret agents sent me, you disguised yourself as a human named Copper Bauman to do virtuous feats, like defending a child from a group of bullies, before everyone knew your true identify and thus drove you away for the "inevitable monster" you were. In other words, you are considered a true hero who was severely misjudged due to certain stereotypes and we also would like to prove to everyone that the prophecy about you turning evil is wrong."
"Your members spied on me?" asked Bowser.
"They have," said Ben. "When you saved a girl who was falling from a cliff, it was the first time that our undercover agents kept an eye on you and hid under trees and bushes. After years of recording, we've done an analysis based on your actions and marked you as a special candidate for our team. Now we'll introduce you to some of our best apprentices we have." He then brings the Koopa to another human named Laurence Starcatcher. "Bowser, this is Larry."
Larry waved to the Koopa King and greeted, "It's a pleasure to meet you, big guy. As long as I'm here, there is absolutely no one that gets left behind."
"He's known for his great courage and persistence as well as his skills in weaponry," complemented Ben. "He also possesses high levels of strength and agility, thus making him a formidable warrior."
Zack Hackrabid the jackalope slowly showed up.
"So you must be Bowser Koopa," said Zack. "I guess you must be the tortoise with horns whereas I'm the hare with antlers."
"This is Zack Hackrabid," said Ben. "He's the fastest and most focused member in the group, although not quite as fast Sonic the Hedgehog. But he's said to be extremely talented in cooking, as well as hacking software hence his last name. Furthermore, he's a feisty one, but he's very loyal and his manners are top-notch. Next up is Antonio, aka Antoine, because the nickname is catchy."
Antonio came, shook the king's hand, and yipped, "Buongiorno, Bowser! It's-a me, Antoine, Mario's cousin! I hope the Mario Bros. are treating you well!"
Ben responded, "I have a lot to say about this jolly good fellow over here: He is shorter than Mario and a little skinnier and younger than Luigi, very fond of technology, which is why he uses his trusty laptop, faster than his cousins, and possesses a genius-level intellect. He is also loyal, gentle, and at times energetic, but sometimes, as an apprentice, he makes Mario jealous due to his skills and intelligence. I brought him here because he's always wanted to be a Teologo Warrior."
"I hope you're ready to begin your training," Larry told Bowser, "because it'll be just like boot camp with a twist."
"Oh, no," whined the Koopa King. "And to think practicing for the Thumper Games was enough…"
"First, you'll be having a physical examination where the doctors will test your powers and abilities," said Zack. "So you'll be put to practice only if you're ready, so don't worry."
During Bowser's examination, the doctors were quite impressed with the measurements: His strength level was nearly 75 tons after some weightlifting; his legs were capable of reaching a top speed of 100 miles per hour on the treadmill with the help of physical awareness, although this is rarely achieved due to the lack of sufficient energy; also, his fire power exceeded 3600 °F, according to a metal orb.
"Mr. Koopa," said Ben, "I think you're more than ready to train with us, so there's no reason to run away. Therapy will be guaranteed in case you fall apart."
And so after the conversation, Bowser was sent Zack's room to share. Ill-advisedly, there were some relationship problems since Zack wasn't pleased with sharing the resting chamber. For example, the Koopa kept mistaking the jackalope's name as "Jack".
"Guess what, Jack?" said the king. "We get to share this room together!"
"It's ZACK, and you better keep this room tidy if you want me to enjoy having you here, chosen one," replied Zack.
There was also that time when Bowser gobbled up all of Zack's snacks out of heavy appetite and stubbornly left the wrappers on the ground. More problems included the Koopa taking the shower too long and the two fighting over the TV. Nonetheless, the two put this silly rivalry aside by the time it was training time.
During the recruit training, all of the candidates including Bowser, Zack, Larry, and Antonio formed in neat rows. Next came a Toad instructor named General T. (According to her badge) stomping harder than a rock.
"Good morning, everyone," announced General T. in a stern tone. "Hope you slept well, 'cause today will be a big day for all of you people, *then points at Bowser* especially you, CHOSEN ONE, considering the fact that you will train hard and let go of the past. The rules will be no biting, no spanking, no arguing, no weeping, no sleeping, no eating, no drinking, no spitting, no cheating, no smoking, no whining (I learned that the hard way), no burping, no slurping, no teasing, no wheezing, no shoving, no cussing, no fussing, no Gangnam Style (please)… *three minutes later* …no crying to your mommy, saying that you have a boo-boo (seriously), and most importantly, DO THE BEST YOU CAN (really)! Am I CLEAR?"
"Yes, sir!" everyone yelled.
The sergeant yelled, "Seriously? Don't call me sir, because I AM A GIRL!" She then took off her helmet and threw it on the ground; the instructor was revealed to have a pink cap and plaits. Everyone gasped.
"Oh, Picky Pikachu, that's not Toadette, is she?" thought Bowser, sweating. "She's supposed to be the nicest Toad in the Mushroom Kingdom…and also the world's strictest instructor!"
"When I'm here, don't expect me to be on Cutesy Mode anytime soon," warned General Toadette. "Now drop and give me 50! One hand only!"
Everyone gave the general fifty one-handed push-ups. As for Bowser, he was two times slower than the rest. After the push-ups, they were assigned to punch Sandbags (from Super Smash Bros.), do abdominals, pull-ups, and lift Thwomp barbells until they dropped.
"It's time for lunch! We can't work on an empty stomach like this," stated the instructor.
"Thank you, ma'am!" yelled everyone.
After the lunch call, Toadette suddenly called Bowser. "Oh, wait, I nearly forgot, Mr. Koopa. Someone is whipping up something special for you. Come see us at our lunch room and you'll find what you'll be having."
Bowser came inside the staffs' lunch room and there, he meets his friends he recently made in the headquarters. This however, was because the certain members receive special treatment.
"Good to see you here," said Toadette. "The cook just served you here some kind of bars that have up to '100 percent of twenty-eight vitamins and minerals', and of course, 30 grams of various 'alien' proteins that are proven to be essential for, well, you know, strength."
Bowser smelled the bars. "Mmm. There's nothing I like more than the flavor of chocolate, other than meat, that is. Let's eat!" And so he devoured the pile of bars quicker than the time when he ate a whole box of cookies as a child. After that, he emitted an obnoxious fire-spewing burp that quavered the entire room so firmly that it was a 5.5 on the Richter scale, motivating everyone outside to hide under the tables immediately.
Zack pointed out, "I suppose those bars gave you lot of gas, but you're nonetheless fueled up and ready to go, Am I right?"
"You bet I am, baby!" roared the King.
"Good! Because trust me, you're going to need all of that energy to run 25 miles once the lunch break is over," cited Toadette.
"25 MILES!?" howled Bowser. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? How the heck I can possibly run 25 miles when I'm like the slowest one there is?"
"Your meal was to help you keep up with us," said Antonio. "And who knows, you could be the fastest one there is after vigorous exercising."
After lunch, the trainees began their 25 mile run ordered by the sergeant. Bowser was off to a relatively rough start, considering the fact that he was late. At the end though, he managed to finish in 20th place out of 60, mainly due to those prescribed protein bars he ate.
Zack, who came in 1st place, shook the dragon turtle's hand. "Not bad, your majesty! Maybe if you can try to give yourself a boost start and spread your legs a little more, you speed could be more consistent. There's more than just your focus that could help you run faster. But of course, I have to admit that I'm the fastest one around."
"Thanks for the advice," replied the King.
After the laps, the recruits were taught advanced international martial arts such as the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the Bartitsu. Many performed really well, but Bowser and Antonio were partially struggling; whenever they tried to kick, they kept slipping due to the lack of balance or perhaps the slick floor. Next, everyone learned how to use weapons that were available in the headquarters; ray guns, swords, boomerangs, bows and arrows, etc. But when holding them, Bowser kept breaking the weapons by accident mainly due to his sheer strength. "Oops. Does have any glue or tape?" Overall, this was not a perfect day for the king while he accomplished in smashing the Sandbags. But as he kept practicing for over three months, he slowly began to improve, as it all started when during the robot dummy combat, Toadette shared the Koopa guidance reminiscent to one of AG's:
"Remember, Bowser, in this world, standards of super powers seem to determine who a hero is, but trust me, a TRUE hero does not really need any of those if you put full potential on things. Have some confidence in yourself and maybe even a special move wouldn't hurt."
This advice appeared to motivate Bowser a lot; in fact, he decided to perform a powerful Ground Pound, creating massive vibrations that stunned the robots, giving him an opportunity to shell-spin a whirlwind; the move operated slowly, but it was eventually powerful enough to wipe away all of the dummies at once. In conclusion, everyone was amazed of such accomplishment.
"That's the spirit!" cheered Sargent Toadette. "What you just did wowed me! First you stunned the robots with your Ground Pound and then you spun a tornado to clean up the mess!"
As a result of this phenomenon, everyone became inspired to use their own hidden special moves, as there were no rules against using them. For example, Antonio used his auto-reflexes to detect the explosives coming after him during "Dodgebomb", while Zack threw plasma balls to destroy the droids during combat time. As for Larry, he used energy absorption to extend his stamina while doing the fitness activities, such as the hurdles, sword fighting and powerlifting.
But when it came to Bowser, he was among the most improving in terms of performance, even though he had the least emphasis on special powers. His push-ups became faster and faster, compared to everybody else's, while his pull-ups exceeded one hour. Additionally, he eventually hit the Sandbags so hard that they flew and smashed the wall, carried the most Thwomps, mastered all of the martial arts without slipping and during the 25-mile run, sprinted like crazy after an explosive burst of speed, thus Zack, the fastest of them all, was his only opponent. His skills in weaponry have also exceeded standards as well.
During graduation, Bowser, who now had the best traits of a soldier and a decathlete, and the gang were sent by Agent Ben to the Teologo Federation in the cosmos to see Grand Mistress Victoria, the platinum-haired leader of the forces.
"Greetings, fellow newcomers," pronounced the lady with a British accent. "We are all here to welcome all of you for your access of this humble organization, especially you, King Bowser Koopa. To put it straight forward, you are hereby official members of our team. After a long period of hard work, you have finally reached this far to be here."
The audience gave a round of applause.
The grand mistress then continued, "Based on your record, I am very sure that you will all take responsibility for what you do to serve the good and demonstrate audacity, altruism, and perseverance. And for you, Bowser, we are dearly concerned about this so-called prophecy about yours. Could it be true that you will indeed become the darkest being of all time?"
"For sure, I am so desperate to stay good," replied the King. "For years, all of those humans were afraid of me, but I must put that aside as thinking about it will do me no good."
"And that is why that we will swear an oath to do whatever we can to keep you from reaching this kind of fate. All you need to do is follow the right path as long as you can…"
Chapter 19 - The Girl Who Saw the Good in Me (Narrated by Charlotte)
Hello there! Charlotte's the name, and I will be narrating this chapter because it's pretty much focused on how I joined Bowser's forces. Back at a large floating island which was our vacation spot, every morning, whenever I overslept, the white Luma would wake me up, carry me to the bathroom to brush my teeth and give me a bath, with the help of other Lumas. I'd often tell the star-like creatures that I do the routine myself, but they always insisted that they do so because they wanted to do me a favor since my mother and I first raised them. After breakfast, Mom would assign me to water the plants, do the laundry, and then practice riding on the giant bird Fluzzard at the jungle, with the guidelines from the parrot-like Jibberjays. After that, I was to surf on the giant manta ray, named Ray. On my free times, I would draw pictures that represent my desires of joining the Teologo forces, and every night, I would read the Lumas a bedtime story to promote them positive dreams. Overall, I was pretty busy on vacation, but it was worth it at the end, as everyone seemed to be awesome, even the chores…because the Lumas gave me a hand.
Then one day, Mother, the Lumas, and I watched the news and learned that Bowser Koopa has joined the forces of the Teologo. Later, he was recorded returning to his home place via spaceship, saying goodbye to all of his kids and civilians and permitting her wife Queen Clawsaria to take his place as ruler, before he went back. What disturbed us was that we once heard about the prophecy focusing on the Koopa becoming the worst enemy in the universe, but despite being puzzled by this strange paradox, I decided get my mom's permission so I could travel to search for Bowser so I could guide him. Then, I asked the Lumas to come with me to the Starshroom, a mushroom-shaped starship formerly owned by Princess Rosalina before she became frozen. Before our travel, I brought a telescope, a journal, a compass, sandwiches, tea, and of course water, while my companions brought Star Bits, large Konpeitō (A Japanese candy)-like snacks that taste like honey.
As we set sail to the starry sky, I once had a brief and surreal vision about seeing my long-lost father, who was eventually murdered by that masked man Volto Nascosto, like what was claimed in real life back in Earth. I felt pretty sad, and that's why I told the Lumas what happened, in which they all cried. But we all put that aside and continued searching until we saw a ship with a certain symbol passing by. Believing that Bowser was driving it, we followed the vessel that was about to visit the Taiga Planet PL-487, but then, a meteor hit our Starshroom, thus causing us to crash-land to our destination. Our goal was achieved, just without the ability to come back home. So we got out from our broken ship and followed the Koopa King and
some companions heading to a village. By the time we made it to the hamlet, we saw the King and his gang encountering a young Beanish on their first mission.
"Why you are good guys here, getting in the way?" asked the Beanish. "You must stand back! I warn you, I have FURY!"
"Not until you give back those moissanite (an extremely hard and durable gemstone with a chemical formula SiC) jewelries to those rightful owners!" ordered one of the squadron.
"What gemstones?" replied the Beanish.
"The ones in your bag!" answered the Koopa King.
"Fools! Fawful need these gemstones as spare candy for my Freeze-bot! And if I don't have them, then how my robot survives?"
"Can't you create your own moissanites to make fuel?" suggested the short guy with the brown cap.
"That costs many money, you dopy mustache!" remonstrated Fawful. "You excuse me; I must be feeding these jewels to the Freeze-bot at the lair of mine." After the conversation, the Beanish started running to a hill.
"After him!" ordered Bowser.
When Bowser and Co. started chasing Fawful, I knew I had to do something, but what? I could try throwing Star Bits at the Beanish, but I didn't think that would knock him over. But when I ran and threw one at him, he started swelling when licked it, which made me wonder if he was allergic to the cosmic candy. So the white Luma took my spot and hurled one more and as a result, Fawful turned completely red and inflated like a balloon wherein he rolled down and that he was finally caught by the antelope's beam lasso.
"We've got the culprit where we want him," said the lady from the crew. "But I wonder who threw that star bit at him."
The squad suddenly looked at me at the distance. "It's that teenage girl with the blue cap worn backwards and strawberry-blonde hair with a hint of magenta," said the jackelope.
"Tell me, who are you?" asked Bowser.
I came to them and answered. "My name is Charlotte. Look, I didn't mean to make the green guy sick, it's just that you looked like you needed help."
"As a Beanish, Fawful will recover in an hour or two, based on Ellen's research; we would like to all thank you for helping us," said the jackelope. "The name's Zack Hackrabid, the fastest in the team."
"It's-a me, Antonio, the technology expert." said the short guy with the yellow mustache, shaking my hand. "I'm also the cousin of Mario if you ever met him."
"Call me Larry Starcatcher, Bowser's trusted advisor," said the man.
"My name is Ellen Mills, and I am a researcher," said the lady with the peach-colored hair and green horn-rimmed eyeglasses."
"And you must be Bowser Koopa," I told the dragon turtle, "the chosen one of the forces."
"That's how Mistress Victoria saw me," replied the Koopa. "Anyway, you happen to be a cute kid, Charlotte. Would you like join my team as my secret weapon? Together we are called the Warriors of B.L.A.Z.E."
"I would love to join your team!" I cheered.
"In case you were wondering, Ellen just joined us because, well, she's quite a fan of me, despite my 'monstrosity'."
"Um, you arrest, or tête-à-tête?" asked the inflated Fawful. "I have PIQUE!"
"Oh yeah, we got to take this mean bean to prison," said Bowser. "After that, kid, we'll have to take you home to ask your parents for your permission to be with us."
After Fawful was sent to jail, we entered Bowser's ship to send me and the Lumas home, but Antonio suggested that we instead use the webcam on the laptop to communicate with my mother.
"Hi, Mom!" I waved at her at the screen.
"Hi, Charlotte," replied Mom. "So where have you been? I was worried sick about you."
"Your daughter is at the taiga planet PL-487, otherwise known as Planet Bogachi," answered Larry. "She's perfectly fine, even though her Starshroom was destroyed by a meteor. Anyway, we're wondering if she could join our team because she just helped us capture Fawful, who was stealing moissanites. You see, Charlotte and a Luma each threw a Star Bit at the thief, who was apparently allergic to them."
"I'm impressed with what she did," replied Mom. "But I'm not sure if she's ready to join your team and take dangerous missions."
"Look, I promise to be careful of what I do and listen to the crew at all costs, even if it means staying put," I swore to Mom. "And remember that I took mechanics last school year, in which I can repair damages on the ship or gadgets. So can you please let me join the team?"
"Alright, but don't get hurt. Also, I think you should have the Lumas teach you a few handy tricks. You know how obliging they are."
We all cheered for my official membership.
"Thanks for letting me become part of the group!" I responded. "You certainly are the best!" I then asked Bowser, "So, captain, what's our next mission assigned by Mistress V?"
"First off, the next one isn't going to be as easy as the previous, so be aware of that," said the Koopa. "We're heading to the Runny Honey Galaxy, where a group of X-Nauts are planning to dethrone the Queen. It'll be quite a while before we get there though."
While we were yet to meet our destination, the Lumas decided to teach me how to spin.
"Do you want to play with us, Charlotte?" asked one blue Luma. "We'll teach you something really neat."
"Teach me what?" I asked.
"Come to the training room and you'll find out."
I entered the training room and saw Antonio and Ellen spinning to deflect the Sandbags.
"This is rather quite fun if you ask me," said Tony spinning.
"According to my research, it must be the cosmic energy the Lumas are providing us," suggested Ellen.
"How do you spin like that?" I asked, wondering.
One green Luma answered, "It's easy. One of us has to get under a cap in order for you to perform the spin maneuver."
So the white Luma showed up and got under my blue cap. As a result, I felt a little tingle, which meant that I was able to spin, as demonstrated when I hit that Goomba decoy, flipping it down.
"You guys can also give yourself a boost whenever you jump," added the green Luma.
"Tony, Ellen, and I did what she said and we felt like it could come in handy when fighting against the bad guys if weapons and fighting skills were enough.
At evening, I was in the mood came to check Bowser to find out how he was doing. Apparently, he felt kind of sad; in fact, I saw tears rushing from his eyes like raindrops on a window.
"What's wrong?" I asked gently. "Are you crying because of how everyone sees you as some kind of monster?"
"It's not that anymore," wept Bowser. "Being in outer space reminds me of the *takes a deep breath* death of my parents during Smash War I. Before then, I tried put that aside, but now that I'm here without my kids, I could really feel my mother and father getting killed by one of the Tapo's nuclear-powered Banzai Bills. Since the war, I've become totally distinct from them.
"I am extremely sorry for your loss," I replied, shedding a tear. "But you remember how much they loved you, right?"
"I remember when back in my home place, I was given ancient artifacts such as a jewelry embedded lamp discovered by my father on my first birthday. There was also the time when my mother sang authentic lullabies right before every nap time. And that my siblings and I were together before the war changed everything and separated us. You see, all of those humans saw our kind as savages. They all misjudged and raided us for who we were and what we did. The truth is that we weren't the beasts people think we are. We just wanted to protect ourselves from danger. And while my sister and brothers were sent to a nice place, I was sent to a place full of misery where many bullied and discriminated me despite my royalty. I mean, what was the point of being a prince when very few people love you for the nature you have? Sure I was mean and spoiled back then. But that was the result of prejudice. And that's not even all; after I helped the humans while disguising myself, I eventually chose to reveal myself only to be seen as a monster again due to that prophecy."
Then, I began to hug the Koopa. "First off, your parents will always be in your heart because their love they gave you is eternal. And I just want to let you know that I lost my dad when I was a baby. Secondly, those guys during Smash War I and those in your childhood should've gotten to know you better before attacking you. And third of all, I believe they are someone or more who is still out there thanking you for all of the good deeds you've done over time. That's why you're here to serve the Teologo to prove that you're no monster. And I will try my hardest to keep you from turning evil like what the prophecy says."
"You know, at least I still have my wife and eight children," said the King, "so I can't say that I have no family as of today."
"Love them, and they'll love you back," I said.
When we finally arrived to the Runny Honey Galaxy, there existed a pack of X-Nauts surrounding the Honey Queen.
"What do you want from me?" screamed the Queen.
"We're here to capture this galaxy where our master will gain more power by taking your place as ruler," answered one of the X-Nauts. "You will surrender to Sir Grodus or die."
Bowser showed up and faced the troops. "Not so fast, X-Nuts! First, you'll have to go through us if your master wants to take over this land."
Lord Grodus suddenly appeared to meet the King. "You must be Bowser Koopa, am I right? I've heard that you joined the Teologo even though you'll turn evil at the end. It seems to me that you have a lot of potential when it comes to your powers and abilities, but you won't be here to stop me now. X-Nauts, seize those intruders at once!"
The troops brought out their laser guns and came closer.
"You want of a piece of this bunny with antlers?" hollered Zack holding his spear. "Come and get me, you X-Nots!"
So we managed to fight back, except for me, who needed to stay put while encouraging my friends. Zack spun his spear to deflect the lasers and knocked down the troops with his powerful legs, Antonio used his ray guns to stun the enemies, Ellen used telekinesis and the spinning move to knock them away, and Larry and Bowser used their best fighting skills they learned during training. Eventually, the X-Nauts retreated to their ship.
"You have impressed us quite a bit, Bowser," Grodus told the Koopa in a calm tone, before leaving. At first, you are trying to defeat the dark side, but soon, you WILL start to crave it and eventually join us one day. Just wait and see."
After the retreat, the Honey Queen thanked us for defeating the troops, and as a reward, the Bees served us honey desserts like sundaes, cakes, and baklava. When we left, we all celebrated the success of our second mission even though I only watched instead of taking action. But Larry told me that I was learning the concept so I that I can apply to it during my training before our next task. As for the Koopa King, we put effort to prevent him from turning bad through consolation during rough days, reasoning, and the search for the sources of evil. Eventually, Bowser and I became extremely deep friends over the next few years of serving the Teologo; on our day-offs, we played games together with the Lumas, took pictures, and every holiday, the dragon turtle would invite me and B.L.A.Z.E. to her wife Rosaria, siblings like John and Brutus, who made that wonderful pasta, and indubitably, his children like Bowser Jr. We also met that plumber Mario, who recently came back after an invasion of the Mushroom World.
Chapter 20 - Operation: Rescue Rosalina (Narrated by Rosalina)
This is Princess Rosalina. You have been wondering if Bowser's wife Rosaria relates to someone who "looked after the Lumas". You see, the white-haired girl was my daughter who I sent away to Earth to give the Koopa someone to love.
It all started after the marriage between me and my husband, when we had a desire of raising someone with unique traits based on what we dreamt of rather than those of what we had. This was all because Lubba the purple Luma recently bought us a book that taught us how to create a dream child using various forms of cosmic energy and magic. As we were interested in following the book, what we wanted was a beautiful daughter, with cotton-white hair symbolizing light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity, and sapphire-blue eyes representing peace and serenity. We also wanted her to be completely moral, particularly social, deeply caring, talented in sports, and fond of art. When we began the experiment at the kitchen of Comet Observatory, I wondered how ethical this would be, but I wanted to try something new for a change. So we started off by bringing out a cauldron and adding sugar, spices and everything nice. After minutes of boiling and stirring, a thick cloud formed. Then, I emitted bursts of lightning from my hands to electrocute the cloud and voilà, our dream daughter was born. The Lumas were excited about this new member of our family, and we could hardly wait to spend time with Rosaria during her development.
Then sometime during Smash War I, the soothsayer and the turquoise Luma invited me and my husband at her tent to warn us about the widely known prophecy about a certain Koopa turning bad:
"As a consequence for the terrors of Smash War I, one day, a mistreated prince named Bowser will live a lonely life and grow up to become the most terrible villain of all time and rule the universe…"
"Oh, no…" responded my husband. "This could mean danger to humanity and eternal suffering by then."
"This is bad news," I said. "Please tell us, soothsayer. What can we do to stop this from happening?"
"Listen to the other part of the prophecy, and you'll find out," replied the soothsayer. "As a consequence for the terrors of Smash War I, one day, Bowser will live a lonely life and grow up to become the most terrible villain of all time. BUT if he shall bond with the most divine love in the galaxy, he will end his evil doings and live a happy life."
"What do you mean by the 'most divine love'?" I asked.
"Who else could it be? It's your dream daughter Rosaria, of course. She is the one that will have Bowser redeem himself and avoid Gothic's reign known as the Dilim. Quickly place her to a portal to where she'll be adopted to a new loving family."
My husband and I felt sad for sacrificing Rosaria, especially when we did not get to spend enough time with her. But we had no choice but to send her to the magic portal in the library. Suddenly, Lord Gothic, the darkest villain in the universe, and his demonic minions invaded the observatory and broke into the library to capture me.
"Well, well, why it isn't Princess Rosie, the founder of the Teologo and the one who I used to love," cackled Gothic in a charming tone."Thought you could change the prophecy, eh? But Bowser WILL grow up to become the most powerful villain in the universe and join the Dilim, and you and your daughter will do nothing to stop him!" Boys, take this princess to the Chamber of Ambers and freeze her in a crystal cocoon for at least 30 years! We don't want her to cause any more tricks!"
"Rosalina!" yelled my husband.
"HONEY!" I shrieked back.
"MAMA!" the Lumas shouted, bursting in tears.
The Lumas tried to stun the minions, but they ended up being knocked out in return. At the Chamber of Ambers, Gothic and his minions immobilized me by spraying me by liquid nitrogen; after that, I was sealed by that crystallized prison, left to be untouched for a long period of time.
This was the time when my out-of-body experience began whereas the executive and my trustworthy friend Victoria took my place as director, or chief executive officer. Years later, based on my investigation, Bowser was invited by Agent Ben to my organization so that he would not turn bad like what the prophecy says; I was relieved to find out that the dragon turtle was getting a lot of love and support to have him remain good.
On present day, Bowser, the Warriors of B.L.A.Z.E. and Charlotte have received new badges for achieving the most missions over the years, of all of the sub-groups in the forces. My Lumas were there to see the ritual.
"Captain Bowser, Larry Starcatcher, Antonio, Zack Hackrabid, Ellen Mills, and Charlotte, all of the Teologo would like to congratulate you for all that you've done for the people around you," announced Grand Mistress Victoria. "As some of the greatest heroes in the galaxy, perhaps you have led a special legacy beyond compare as you have achieved the most missions such as rescuing the Gearmos from a nuclear explosion, encountering an evil cyborg Toad who used to be a famous soldier, saving a planet from an asteroid, but mainly foiling many of the Dilim's ploys."
"I wonder if the humans on Earth know that I'm one of the greatest heroes of all time," said Bowser.
"I am sure they will, captain," replied the director. "Think about it, your recent history over the years shall be long praised once they understand your impenetrable altruism as well as your extraordinary formidability and that you are certainly not the monster people think you are. More importantly, your family will be proud of how you saved lives and took down a large number of villains in various areas. Your parents Morthophelus and Cynthia Koopa would have also been proud if they were alive today. I think it's time to put that so-called prophecy aside and keep it up like this."
"I give my thanks for those who supported me."
Suddenly, Lubba interrupted the celebration to bring the organization an urgent message. "Bad news, everyone! As revenge for foiling his plans, Lord Gothic and his members have plans of declaring Smash War II, and if so, this could mean that we would live as their puppets!"
Everyone began to panic.
"The darkest villain in the galaxy," said the Koopa Captain.
Victoria then told everyone, "Remain calm, every one of you! As a promise, we will find a way to prevent this war! *faces Bowser and the gang* Captain, it looks to me that you and your team has a special mission. Have you ever heard of Princess Rosalina?"
"Mama?" suggested the white Luma.
"Her name sounds familiar," said Charlotte, wondering.
The lady answered, "Before she was forgotten, Rosalina was a very powerful figure and the founder/former Grand Mistress of the Teologo, as her duty was to watch over us and protect the cosmos as well as the Lumas. When she sent her created daughter Rosaria to Earth, Gothic ordered his minions to seal the princess in a crystal cocoon for thirty years. She would've been the one to bring permanent peace to the galaxy. To find her, you must search for the Chamber of Ambers to break her free with physical strength high enough to shatter a boulder and have her reunite with her Lumas and stop the Dark Lord's ultimate plan once and for all."
"You can count on all of us!" said Larry.
In the headquarters, the Koopa and his crew were looking for the location of the chamber.
"So where in the galaxy is this Chamber of Ambers?" asked Zack. "We can't find it on the GPS."
Ellen answered after searching for a rare book in the library, "According to this map in the Book of Dilim, I believe that the chamber is in Gothic's Castle, 35 thousand light years from here. Keep in mind that there will be lots of troops on guard, so it will take lots of combat."
"That won't be too big of a job, if we all stay focused and work together," said the Koopa Captain.
"And guess what, Lumas? You'll get to see your mother again," Charlotte told the star children. "Isn't that exciting?"
My Lumas cheered.
The captain continued, "Everyone, you know our motto. May the craze shall go with the blaze!"
The group shouted, "MAY THE CRAZE SHALL GO WITH THE BLAZE!"
After the 35,000 light year drive via spaceship, when the group entered the maze-like castle, Captain Bowser, Larry, and Antonio were to tackle the cyborg Koopatrols (each half robot, half Koopa soldier) until all were gone. Meanwhile, Zack, Ellen, Charlotte, and the Lumas were safely searching for the chamber where my body was frozen; by the time the chamber was found after solving puzzles and unlocking 40 rooms, the two girls and the jackelope were about to be eaten by a Dino Piranha on guard duty.
"We're all lunch, aren't we?" gulped Charlotte.
"We're the main course while the Lumas are the side order," said Zack.
I thought it could mean their end, but the rest of the gang distracted the beast by throwing a giant stone bone for it to catch. They all went inside the chamber at the end.
"We're here, in the Chamber of Ambers," said the white Luma. "You can see a lot of corpses sealed in those crystals."
"Look, guys, there's Princess Rosalina at the end of the chamber!" shouted Charlotte.
Bowser got closer to me and took a long look.
"It's time to do the honors, big guy," said the rabbit with antlers. "You know what to do. It's time to set the mother of the Lumas free."
It was time. So after I returned to my physical body, Bowser delivered my diamond-hard crystal cocoon a mighty punch that was so powerful that the prison instantly shattered into a million pieces, in which I was finally released and landed slowly on the ground sparkling, after 20 years of prison.
"You're here, Mama! We all missed you!" cried the Lumas in joy. They came up and kissed me.
"Picky Pikachu, you're still alive," Bowser told me.
"You're the one who freed me," I said gently, hugging my Lumas. "I would like to give my thanks for this time I knew would come. So how is Rosaria, my long-lost daughter, treating you?"
"Like an angel- Wait, you're saying that my wife, or true love, is your child?" asked Bowser.
"Yes," I answered. "Perhaps it's about time I give you an explanation. You see, I sent Rosaria to Earth so that she would find you and become your deep friend in order to prevent the prophecy from taking place. Do you remember when the white-haired girl mended your wounded leg at the park whereas all of the kids at school mistreated you, like you were a monster? I was watching you sometime during my out-of-body experience."
"Yes…" sniffled the Captain briefly. "She was the only one who cared about me. In fact, we kind of shared a romantic relationship together. Besides raising eight kids, we would go out to eat, and every bedtime, we would kiss before we slept… Thank you for sending her to me. Otherwise, I would've walked to the darker direction."
"And you must be Charlotte, the one who took care of my Lumas while I was frozen," I continued.
"That's right," replied Charlotte. "While my mother helped me a little, I took REALLY good care of your star children by feeding them, singing them songs, reading them bedtime stories…there's so much examples for me to tell. I totally enjoy having them around!"
"Thank you very much for taking so much responsibility for my beloved ones."
Suddenly, a robot hiding outside the chamber, pushed a button, and cried in a monotonous tone, "The entire galaxy will be gassed in less than 3 minutes."
"No more time for life reviews!" warned Larry. "We have to go back to the ship before we suffocate!"
For this reason, we immediately escaped the castle. As a shock, Charlotte tripped over a thorny bush and wounded her leg like how Bowser did so at the park as a child.
"Hold still, Charlie!" yelled Bowser. "Let me hold you!"
Bowser carried the girl and rushed to the ship with us only to find out that is was destroyed by an asteroid. "This is bad."
Only thirty seconds were remaining: "Thirty, twenty-nine, twenty-eight…"
"I know! How about we transform into Launch Stars to transport you guys?" advocated some of the Lumas.
"Mamma-mia, won't you have to sacrifice yourselves IF SO!?" asked Antonio loudly.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine! We'll come with you later!"
The Lumas transformed into the large orange stars hovering just above the ground. We all took one each (including Charlotte despite having a scratched leg), spun, and became catapulted unexpectedly to Earth before the last ten seconds until the castle became polluted by the poisonous gas. After the considerable enjoyment flying for a period of time, we landed on "Bowser City", Bowser's home place next to Hawaii. But why so? Perhaps this was time to reunite with someone I knew…
Chapter 21 – Am I A Man Or A Monster?
"We're here in my home place, but why?" The Koopa Captain asked the Lumas.
The Lumas answered, "Captain Bowser, we sent you all here for a special reunion. We would all like you to take us to your castle so we can meet Rosaria again."
"I assume that you don't know exactly where our castle is. Everyone, head to the castle!"
When they entered the castle, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings ran into their father for a hug.
"You're back, Pops!" they cheered, hugging.
"It's good to see you all you again," replied Bowser.
As for Rosalina and the Lumas, they slowly looked for the daughter until they all met at the family room. There, they were quite flabbergasted to see Rosaria in the form of a Koopa. So Bowser's wife shape-shifted back into her human form, and that was when she looked familiar.
"…Rosaria, is that you?" asked Rosalina. "It seems that you were taught how to shape-shift."
"…Mom?" responded Rosaria. After a flashback regarding the first time she saw her mother, she said, "It's you!"
The two quietly hugged each other.
"Why couldn't you visit me after you sent me away?" Rosalina's daughter asked.
"First off, I'm so sorry that we didn't spend enough time together. If you did not realize what happened, Lord Gothic, who wanted to keep me from prevent a prophecy, ordered his minions to seal me in a crystal prison for 20 years before Bowser set me free. I'm not expecting you to forgive me; I just want you to understand."
"It's alright, Mom," replied Rosaria calmly. "I do understand."
Meanwhile, at the living room…
"Dad, lately, you haven't been there for us," Bowser Jr. told his father. "I know that you had to take lots of missions to protect the cosmos, but we've been pretty lonely for years without you around."
"I know," replied Bowser. "I apologize for not using enough time with all of you. The reason why I rarely come back is because I've been very busy from day to night. You can consider it a demanding and difficult situation to travel to hundreds of galaxies and fight villains."
"Couldn't you take us to work so that we can spend time together?" advised Larry.
"I could have, but I feared that it would be too dangerous."
"Agent Ben would've let you take a day off if you just asked," said Morton. "And whenever you come back home, you would make promises, like setting up a picnic at the park or bring us a giant cake from outer space. But what do you? You don't fulfill them."
Bowser looked away and mumbled, "Agent Ben did advise me to go home and spend time with my kids, but I refused so that I can spend time showing off to the aliens my powers and abilities to them make respect me…" Also, I gobbled up all of the sweets from Planet Sweet Tooth out of house and home like if it was a reward." He then covered his mouth. "Oops."
"Dad?" asked Junior feeling suspicious. "What was gotten into you? Were you being selfish to us? How could you?"
"Kids, I can explain…"
"How can we ever trust you now since you care about the special treatment more than us?" sobbed Junior. "If you're not going to spent time with us anymore, then you shouldn't be a king anymore! I guess you are going to be a bad guy after all."
After heartbreaking the children, Bowser decided to leave the castle. "Crew, it's time to go, and that's an order."
The warriors, Charlotte and Rosalina left as a command by their captain. Then, Agent Ben began to communicate with the Captain via smartwatch.
"Bowser, is that you?" asked Ben. "It seems that you finally freed Rosie. Now where are you and your crew?"
"We're at my home place. You see, our ship was destroyed at Goth's Castle and we all need a ride to Teologo Federation."
Eventually, Ben's spaceship arrived and the Warriors of B.L.A.Z.E. entered.
During the ride, Ellen told the depressed captain, "I'm sure your kids will eventually forgive you for those mistakes you made. Perhaps you got carried away by your enthusiasm and that you were just desperate for rewards and the fame from your fans."
"But I betrayed Junior and the Koopalings because I swore to come home more for recreation time."
"Others break promises too. Besides, we all hold grudges only once in a while. And you know what? Even great heroes can make great slip-ups, which is a sign that we're all human…metaphorically speaking, since you are a Kooportentum Rege technically."
At the Mushroom Kingdom, years have passed since Nascosto's failed attempt of becoming ruler. Peach's father and rightful ruler was back to his throne and eventually, the masked man was not seen since until the day that he gave a false message that Gothic declared Smash War II when he himself was the one did so.
Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi were taking a stroll at Toad Town until they unexpectedly met Darwin Kurosawa at the alley.
"Ciao, Mario Bros." greeted Darwin nervously.
"It's-a YOU again, bullo spietato (ruthless bully)!" marched Mario angrily. "What do you want-a from us this time? HOW MANY-A PEOPLE ARE YOU GOING TO HURT!?"
The red-haired man stood back. "No, no, please listen to me! I'm not here to do anything with you guys!"
"You're lying," replied Luigi angrily.
"No, I'm not! Honest! I just want to ask for your help!"
"Is-a this about Bowser?" asked Mario. "Why have-a you been so against him for years?"
"I never wanted to be against him! It's about some kind of inevitable prophecy."
"What-a prophecy?" asked Luigi.
"It's the prophecy in which Bowser grows up to be the biggest supernatural treat in all of existence. After my parents sent me back to Earth, when I grew up, my group and I put up campaigns against Koopas and outsiders only to end up in jail several times. As a xenophobic, I realized the mistake I made of attacking those creatures, like Sonic the Hedgehog. And the guy with the hood who burned down the Smith's mansion, that was me all along and anyone else. I burned their house because they were 'Koopa-lovers'. I want to say how sorry I am for all of those things I did; I had a truly bad experience of foreigners, especially with the Kooportentum Reges. And when those merciless Kooportentum Reges killed many of us particularly during Smash War I, I wanted my own kind to be safe from Bowser's hands. You see, according to the Cosmic Soothsayer and the Lumas, once the Koopa King joins the Dilim to become completely evil, he'll never turn back and steal of the cosmic energy from the galaxy to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and eventually, the entire universe. All that we love would be lost as long as Bowser wins Smash War II for the bad. Also, think about how many innocent the hate-bloated Koopa would kill when they attempt to rebel. And no matter how hard you get him to stay good, it won't do anything because the astrologers are never wrong. But you can prevent his universal conquest, by slaying him."
"Slaying him?" said Mario. "After all we've been through? I swore to support him, no matter what."
Darwin continued calmly, "Look, I know it's hard to face the truth, but you have to do what's best for humanity. So what's it going to be, the innocent, or the love stealing tyrant whose fate you cannot change?"
Mario stood still and shed a tear. "Very well. Keep in mind that Bowser's virtually indestructible, so it'll require millions of volts and extremely high amps."
"So you're saying that we need a special taser so powerful that it can stop his heart in just a few seconds. Excellent, find someone to build that super taser and give it me so I can end the beast's wrath once and for all."
So Mario and Luigi took Darwin to see Professor Elvin Gadd, the founder of Gadd Science, Inc. and a trusted friend.
"Professor E. Gadd, can you build us a tazer gun powerful enough to exterminate every living thing, including a Kooportentum Rege?" asked the red-haired man.
"Why?" asked Professor Gadd feeling suspicious. "You know, I don't think that would be ethical."
Darwin then used his black magic to mind control the professor, surprisingly WITHOUT his mask! "This is to protect everyone from Bowser once he turns evil. So build the gun and bring it to me at dawn."
"Yes, sir." The professor started making the weapon right away.
When the taser was finally built, Darwin was ready to call his Tabo troops via walkie-talkie and start the war. "It's time. Long live the Tabo."
In the interim, all of the Teologo members were preparing for the war by bringing as much weapons as possible and doubling the guards. In addition, they all prayed to the Star Sprites and Spirits that the conflict would end peacefully. As for the Dilim, which included the Society of X-Nauts and the Poison Mushroom-like Shroobs, there was a surprise alliance with the Tabo, the corrupt Teologo sub-group that was banished from its parent organization. And for Rosalina, who was now at her observatory, she was to find Lord Gothic, who was really mistakenly responsible for declaring war, and stop him to put the battle to a halt.
"It is great to have you back, your highness," said Mistress Victoria, who just came to Rosalina's home. "Your husband is away, but he knows that you're here again."
"I believe that everything went smoothly when you took my place while I was frozen," replied the Princess.
"All of the Teologo were alright while you were sealed for twenty years. Now is the time to find Lord Gothic and put him to justice once and for all."
"Yes."
At the headquarters of B.L.A.Z.E., Lord Gothic got inside by teleporting via the shadows and darkness and sneaked into Bowser's room. There, he sees Bowser thinking about how he broke his promise to his kids and how much fame he's been demanding after battling.
"Greetings, Captain Bowser."
"Who are you?" Bowser replied. "And what do you want from me?"
"It's me, Lord Gothic. Come with me if you want me to help you."
"I knew you would wear gothic clothing, like that black pork pie hat and those chains."
Then, the shadow man began to kidnap him by putting him in a bubble with his necromancy skills. Charlotte abruptly showed up and in terror, saw the dark lord breaking through the window. "You monster! Let Bowser go!" After Gothic summoned some tendrils from the ground to hold the girl, he escaped the quickly headquarters and took the Koopa Captain to his new lair. Later, after the shadow tentacles released her, Charlotte called the rest of the crew.
"Guys, you won't believe what happened!"
"What breaking news do we have, Charlie?" asked Zack feeling anxious.
"Lord Gothic broke into headquarters and kidnapped Bowser! We have to find him before it's too late!"
"We'll call the agents for backup," said Larry.
In Gothic's new castle…
"Where am I?" asked the captain.
"You're at this conference where we get you to join us." answered Gothic with a bad smile. "Boys?"
Fawful, Lord Grodus and an evil goat doctor who was Antonio's enemy named Dr. Kibergoat showed up.
"I can't wait for this day to come," cackled Lord Grodus.
"I underestimated you heroic guy who will soon join a side that is dark." Fawful chortled.
"Let's have an analysis, shall we?" asked Gothic. He then ordered his computer, "TEC-XX, can you explain to us Bowser Koopa's powers and abilities?"
"Analyzing Bowser's body…" announced TEC, scanning the Koopa. "Peak conditions have been reached. After hefty training, his strength level far exceeds 100 tons due to his diamond-hard muscle tissues; he's capable of leaping a thousand miles with ease; he could run at speeds greater than 500 mph with his long, developed legs; his stamina is near-endless as he doesn't seem to get any fatigue toxins; he is unquestionably indestructible as his skin and shell is impervious to lava, needles, extreme weather conditions, and even hydrogen bombs; he can speak 20 kinds of languages like Russian and Welsh; his agility is top-notch as he can even perform a hurricane-summoning Whirling Fortress; his five senses are off the charts, especially his sight that contributes to accelerated perception; last, but not least, his fire breath, his trademark move, is quite advanced as it exceeds 13,000 degrees F. Overall, Bowser is among the most formidable warriors in the galaxy, which is one reason why he's known as the chosen one."
"Utterly impressive, captain," said Gothic. "But do you know that we can make you even stronger than you are now by joining our forces and learn what we can do beyond your wildest imagination?
"Why should I join you?" asked Bowser, wondering. "Can't you see that I'm no longer the monster you expect me to be?"
As a situation, Bowser had to decide who he wanted to be: a man or a monster.
Final Chapter - Betrayal and Power: When Bowser Becomes Evil
"Let's have a seat. Consider the time when you were a child, you wanted to steal the Super Happy Tree at Yoshi's Island and the Cobalt Star," said Lord Gothic. "You did all of those evil deeds so that you could get what you wanted, am I right?"
"Deep inside, I was pretty lonely and that no one wanted to play with me," said Bowser.
"So you stole those artifacts to make you feel better, AND that since your parents saw you as a gifted child, you felt like you deserved everything. Moving on, let's talk about the time when you were bullied by Darwin Kurosawa and those kids at elementary school. They hated you for the monster you were. And once they crossed the line, you destroyed Apricot City due to your anger and pain."
"I put that memory aside, and now I'm doing whatever I can for everyone to treat me equally."
"And so you became king in which your people respect you as well as your former enemy named Mario, who later promised to support you. However, when you visited Brooklyn, you frequently transformed into a human named Copper Bauman. Why is that?"
"Because I feared those humans to still fear me, even though I helped them.
"And when they figured out your true identity, resulting in those UNGRATEFUL FOOLS wanting you dead, you joined the Teologo to become one of the greatest heroes to attempt to get people to know you more. Of course, you occasionally shape-shifted into your human form when you're not battling, but aliens still see you as a hero. Strangely, you only thought about rewards like your latest birthday party, giant desserts, paparazzi, fans going crazy about you for your abilities like your swordsmanship and fire powers, after saving lives and stopping us."
"I was a little enthusiastic for potential…" replied the Captain calmly with a cold emotion.
"And that's not all, you betrayed your children, including Bowser Jr. by not spending time with them in favor of fame! But who cares about your kids? There is nothing wrong with getting rewards and showing off your power. All that matters is you because family and friendship is a weakness. You're doing the right thing as you're getting even from those paranoid humans. Now if you want to me to make you even more powerful than ever before, let me teach you."
"You really can make me stronger?" replied Bowser standing up. "Alright. Teach me everything you know."
Then, Gothic brought a contract with an evil grin. "Sign here to begin." The Koopa signed it to start the training.
Meanwhile at Bowser's home place, Clawsaria and the kids were discussing about how he does not come back home as often as they hoped it would be.
"Mom, Dad rarely comes back home, doesn't he?" asked Bowser Jr. "Even worse, he doesn't keep his promises."
"Well, we have to respect the fact that your dad happens to be quite a bit busy and at times distracted," replied his mother. Don't worry, sweetie, he'll eventually make plans for recreation if we just have a little bit of faith."
"Well, I want to spend time with him now, if it's one thing I can do," begged Junior.
"We all feel the time way." Ludwig told BJ.
Suddenly, Darwin Kurosawa, or Volto Nascoto, now that he made a new mask, broke one of the walls with a telekinetic blast to see Bowser's family!
"What do you want from us?" Clawsaria shrieked. "*turns to BJ and the Koopalings* Kids, and find a safe place to hide!"
"Rosaria, I know it's you, my original girlfriend who broke up with me for that beast," snarled Darwin. "You just transformed into a Kooportentum."
Kamek then showed up and saw the masked man. "Ack! Stay away from the lovely lady, you Koopa-murderer! Or you'll have to go throughmoi!" He brought his wand at that point.
He then ordered the cougar, "Rudy Clawful, tranquilize the lady and that freak show."
Rudy brought the tranquilizer gun and blasted the darts. In response, Kamek shot magic blasts with his keen perception to transform the arrows into Coins.
"Me-ouch! Is that all you got, pussycat?" laughed Kamek, dancing. "You're not shooting the Queen or this wizard's butt. Ha ha!"
"Who are you calling pussycat, old geezer?" insulted Rudy.
Soon, Nascosto shot lightning from his hands to stun Rosaria and the Magikoopa. "Don't make fools out of us!"
"Au moins, mon cul n'a pas l'obtenir (At least my butt didn't get it)," moaned the electrocuted Kamek. "Et tu, Rosaria?" He began to faint.
"Troops, bring Rosaria to the ship!" ordered the masked man.
"Mom," whispered Bowser Jr, who was hiding.
The guards took Rosaria to the ship where she was sent to Nascosto's space station.
Meanwhile, at Gothic's lair, Bowser was taught voodoo magic, a type of black magic in which he had to abuse a model of a living moon shaped as a Yoshi head, which would affect its real life counterpart. But he seemed to be hesitating due to his goal of saving lives rather than destruction.
"Now why are you hesitating?" Gothic asked with composure. "Just break the model with your bare hands! The Yoshi head is just a moon!"
"I don't feel like this seems right," sighed the captain. "The Teologo law forbids destruction whether a planet is habitable or not."
"You're still following the rules, aren't you? Go ahead and break them because it is time that you know the shocking truth about the Teologo." He then showed Bowser a fake documentary on a hologram. "The members may treat you well at first, but they are hiding a dark secret regarding your kind. For centuries, they and the rest of civilization downright despised the Kooportentum, so they enslaved them. Since the day they were recognized for their unusually 'uncivilized' nature, millions were separated from their beloved families, put to harsh labor, like mining, serving the rulers and chopping down wood, and used for cruel experiments, like testing the toxicity of Poison Mushrooms...only for the fun of it!"
"No, it can't be! How could they?" said the captain, watching the victims getting attacked in the graphic video.
"They also lived under chains, whips and clubs and slept in filthy cages, ending up with severe injuries and diseases like the swine flu. Furthermore, many of those who begged for freedom were slaughtered without any mercy of any form. But that's not the worst of it! When too weak to work, those poor turtles were skinned alive, blinded, had body parts amputated, etc., and eventually dumped in fire where they die SLOWLY and PAINFULLY before they are eaten. Based on what you are watching now, the Koopas were among the biggest and most suffering victims of cruelty overall! They were unloved, underappreciated, misunderstood, and abused! So this probably means that your people were the enemies to the Teologo during Smash War I. And if you're assuming that it was me who declared Smash War II, you're dead wrong. It was someone named Lord Volto Nascosto. I was just being myself, and now that I'm here to help you, you can defeat everyone in the war and win so we can rule the universe."
"For years, I've been doing my best helping them and this is what happened…Time to get even with those ruthless humans," growled Bowser, whose blood boiled hotter than lava. "They are all hypocrites telling me that I'm a monster when they were the REAL monsters."
"And let me tell you the concept of power, old chap," continued Gothic. "With ultimate power, you are able get anything you want. You will never live miserably again. People will serve you and treat you like a god. All you need to do is let your anger flow through your veins, express yourself who you really are, and unleash the inner monster you've always had!"
Bowser turned red and steamed up violently.
"That's right, you know what to do! LET! IT! GO!"
And so the dragon turtle took a deep breath and burned down every planet-based voodoo model on the shelf until they all melted and evaporated. As a result, the real planets, including the giant Yoshi head, exploded like dynamite; those who live in them were annihilated as well. All of the villains gave a round of applause for this effort.
"I knew I had it in you, King Bowser Koopa. Care for more training?"
"Give it all you got!" roared the dragon turtle. "I am starting to get there!"
Meanwhile, at Nascosto's space station, Rosaria was tied up on a chair so that she would listen to what the masked man had to say about her. Outside, the Lumas were to eavesdrop during this conversation to give information to Charlotte, who stayed put while the Larry and crew participated for the upcoming war.
"Let me go!" the white haired lady yelled angrily.
"NO! Not until you explain to me why to you broke up with me!" roared Nascosto. He then took off his mask to show his familiar face. "Since the first day of elementary school, I once fell in love with you after your beauty. Since I did everything nice to you, you became my girlfriend."
"You were also the biggest bully in the school, Darwin," replied Rosaria. "That's one reason why we broke up."
"But I gave you flowers, wrote poems about you, and made songs! But when you dumped me for that monster, I was heartbroken." He then put the mask back on.
"Bowser needed me far more than you because he was a victim lonely and lost, unlike you, who only cared about being superior to others."
"I can-a see how this explains why you stole Bowser's diary years ago, Darwin," said Mario who showed up.
"Mario, this is none of your business. You should not be here!" scolded Darwin.
"What-a you did was wrong, picking on someone innocent when he did absolutely nothing to harass you," the plumber continued. "And you know what? I regret showing you E. Gadd's location. I realized that killing someone with a specialized weapon is simply illegal and immoral."
"Fool! What about the prophecy? And if I do hunt that Koopa once and for all; Rosaria will have no choice but to come back to me!"
Charlotte suddenly entered the station. "Not a chance, you ruthless bully!" I got blasted out from a launch star to here after what the Lumas just heard about you. I'll call the federation!"
"Have you been spying on me, you foolish brat?" growled Nascosto.
"Just how many outsiders have you hurt over the years? Why can't you get to know them so you wouldn't be quick to antagonize them?"
"They all hated the Tapo! Even those speedy hedgehogs and Toads!"
"That's exactly why you shouldn't discriminate them and be friends with them without being all seriously paranoid just because you were the strongest!"
"What about the Kooportentum? They killed hundreds- no, thousands of us!"
"And you killed MILLIONS of them!" Charlotte sobbed. She was completely teary-eyed. "…And not only that, y-y-you killed my long-lost daddy because he was said to be a Koopa lover…"
"That's when you're dead wrong," responded Nascoto. "It's about time you knew the truth, Charlotte. I AM YOUR FATHER!"
"No, it couldn't be," the girl gasped. "It couldn't!"
"I did-a not know that Charlie was Darwin's lost daughter," said a shocked Mario. "That reminds me of Charles Darwin somehow."
Darwin took off his mask. "When I gave up getting back Rosaria when she went to a different high school, I met your mother for the first time at Chemistry. During her pregnancy, she wasn't so sure if I should be around to see you grow up, after being put to jail frequent times for prejudice. And so started the rumor when I 'killed your father' after your mother and I got divorced. Also, I've heard the news that your mother died just 9 months ago. I know that your captain, Bowser, and his crew were there to see her pass away."
"Mom…" she replied, thinking about what happened.
At Gothic's lair in the meantime, Bowser has completed his dark training, like manipulating gravity and forming weapons out of stars, and now, his journey to the Dilim was almost complete.
"You have done well, Bowser," said Gothic. "Now there is one last step you need to do." He called the cyborg goat, "Doc Kibergoat, bring him the Mushroom of Dilim!"
Dr. Kibergoat brought a black Mushroom with red flashing eyes, the Dilim symbol, which was like a black Triforce with sides curved to the right and a reuleaux triangle as its center, large horns, a gothic crown, and bushy eyebrows. "This is an old recipe that has been made for generations," he chuckled in a Russian accent. "Your last step is to eat this to gain the power of the dark energy and cosmos. Not only that, but you will also feel better about yourself."
"Go ahead and eat it, son," said Gothic. This is your chance to officially become one of us!"
Bowser devoured the Mushroom of Dilim in one bite. Suddenly, his stomach began to rumble like an earthquake, his heart was beating louder a bass drum, his head started to ache like if it was electrocuted by lightning. Then, his skin and shell turned red, his already-muscular body became more massive, his hair became black and spiky, his eyes turned blue, and a black aura surrounded him. Consequently, his entire Yang (the good) has been removed, leaving only the Yin (the bad).
"How are you feeling now, Cosmic Bowser?" the Dark Lord asked.
(Roars like a lion.) "This is who I really am!" thundered the transformed Bowser. I feel bigger, smarter, faster, stronger, and more powerful than EVER BEFORE! Everyone will soon taste my immeasurable hatred and feel my pain!"
"Then it's time to end the war with your awesome power!" Gothic bellowed back. "Do your thing!"
Unexpectedly, the Teologo agents, the Warriors of B. .E., and Princess Rosalina arrived to rescue Bowser, but it was already too late since the transformation.
"What did he turn you into, captain?" gasped Zack, looking at his new appearance.
The now-evil Koopa answered, "Who I should have been like what the prophecy says, Jack!" At that moment, he floated in the air like a hot-air balloon and flew out of the castle with the speed of sound, violently blowing away everyone around him.
"The name's Zack, you traitor…" the antlered rabbit replied slowly while getting up.
"Everyone, find Bowser!" ordered Rosalina. "I'll deal with Lord Gothic in the meantime."
"Yes, your majesty!" The Toad agents and B.L.A.Z.E. obeyed and left.
"Rosie, are you back?" cried Gothic. "I thought you were to be frozen!"
"Bowser and his team searched for the Chamber of Secrets to free me. Now that I've returned, I challenge you to a duel between me and you."
"So be it, sister. This will determine which sibling dies."
The two began the fight. First, Rosalina summoned a yellow Luma and ordered him to shoot Star Bits at the opponent, who, in response, created a shield out of darkness to deflect the candy after taking some hits. Next, Gothic released a large shadow blast (Whoosh), which was ricocheted by a Gravitational Pull. Wobb. Then, the two levitated and fiercely punched and kicked each another.
Outside, after Smash War II began, the transformed Koopa was busy flying in space and attacking the whole Teologo army and every android, Shroob, X-Naut and especially Nascoso's Tabo militia by summoning meteor showers that flew so fast that flames surrounded them, breathing blue cosmic fire hot enough to abolish trees without leaving any ash, using a force field to defend himself from missiles and lasers, and eventually, emitting a special technique called the "Cosmic Boom", in which by unleashing his rage, he emitted a massive supernova-like shockwave glowing with thick cosmic gamma radiation and lightning to destroy all the ships at once, possibly killing millions of people. Later, the Warriors of B.L.A.Z.E. and the agents found the Koopa causing havoc when flying to their ships.
"Meet me at Planet Dynamix, where you can decide if you want to join me, or be my enemies!" roared Cosmic Bowser.
They all met at the neon planet and were to encounter the Koopa there. Larry came up as he wanted to talk to him.
"Here to praise the concept of power, Laurence Starcatcher?" said the dragon turtle. "Join the Dilim where you'll get everything you desire and gain superiority. I'll consider you my friend."
"Listen to yourself, Bowser. This is really not who you are!" replied Larry holding his beam sword. "You were here to stop the Dilim, not join them!"
"(He lets out an echoed lion roar.) This IS who I am! I belong to the dark forces! And if you're not willing to be my friend, then this means you're my ENEMY!" Enraged by the decline, he then charged at Larry to deliver him a cosmos-charged punch. His opponent got back up after getting hit critically and used his beam sword to hit Bowser, who grabbed the weapon from him and crushed it with his bare hands. Next, Bowser tried giving a power jab; Larry flipped back and attempted to hook kick the Koopa, who dodged and did a low roundhouse kick to his leg.
"You're pathetic, chump! If you would've joined me, you would've gotten stronger through my training!"
"You were never the kind of hero who would just choose to be the monster just because of a prophecy!" yelled Larry, standing back up.
"Then you don't really know me at all!" When the two continued battling, everyone else joined Larry's side; while the rest of Bowser's crew emitted plasmas (from Antonio's electric power-up), ice beams (From Zack's ears) and such from certain gestures, the agents used laser guns to shoot the Koopa. But Cosmic Bowser was completely immune to the attacks, and in response, he performed a hurricane-summoning Whirling Fortress that was similar to what came about at the gym, but far more powerful; everyone was blown away like being shot out of a large cannon.
"I know how all of you treated many of us like slaves for hundreds of years, like what I saw a holographic video!" roared Cosmic Bowser, stomping closer to Larry.
"You mean what Lord Gothic showed you?" asked Larry getting up weakly. "The so-called documentary you watched was a fake! He was only trying to get you into joining him!"
"What I saw was REAL! *Stomps his left foot once to create a fault leaking electricity.*"
"We would never mistreat Koopas like that! And sometimes, things aren't always what they seem! In fact, we never THOUGHT of enslaving them! Not only that, I have been your BROTHER who deeply cared about you all the time. Furthermore, we all understand that you were not the monsters some believed you to be; you only wanted to protect your own kind from harm!"
Then, Nascosto's ship landed on this planet in which the masked man came out first, holding his Koopa-specified tazer gun.
"Darwin Kurosawa, the one who bullied me as a child!" growled the red cosmic brute.
"It looks like you really have turned evil after all!" replied Nascosto. "Time to settle this once and for all, turtle trog!"
Darwin aimed at the Koopa with his electroshock weapon whereas Bowser was charging up one big Hyper Beam; as they were about to destroy each other, Rosaria suddenly sprinted to the midpoint between the two. As for Charlotte, she came outside to watch her.
"STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU! PLEASE!" she shrieked, putting the two to a halt.
Bowser and Darwin held their fire.
"Rosaria, you're here," said the dragon turtle with his eyes filling up with tears. "W-w-why have I completely forgotten about you especially after my transformation? I-I-I never wanted to leave you and the kids in the first place. W-w-when we were apart, I have longed to say that I–I-I love you!"
"I love you, too, despite the fact that you left us," replied the lady. "Which is why that I don't want you to hurt anybody; you were NEVER the kind of person who would do so. Please come back to us if you can."
"Remember when you first met Rosaria," Larry told Bowser calmly. "She found you so that you wouldn't walk to a darker path and rethink your old ways as a young prince. Also, she is part of your family, which happens to be far more valuable than fame and power. You see? Power means nothing because it doesn't fulfill your heart like true love."
"Th-th-then maybe a kiss would make me feel better."
But before they could…
"No, NO, NO-O-O!" screamed Darwin, galloping up and down like a bratty child, starting his explosive tantrum. "This was supposed to be my happy ending! MY HAPPY ENDING!
"Rosaria has her rights to her own choices, Darwin," Larry told Darwin. "You ought to not be selfish if you truly loved her."
"Rosaria, you two-timer, you leave me no choice!" Out his anger, he decided to used his weapon on his ex-girlfriend; massive lighting spewed out from his gun and fatally stunned Rosaria like she was barbeque. Everyone was extremely shocked for such act, especially Bowser.
"I hate you, Dad," Charlotte said to his father.
"W-W-W-H-H-H-Y-Y-Y?" bawled the Koopa, bursting into tears. He ran to Rosaria and held her, who was dying as a result of the electrocution.
"Remember our first honeymoon, when we had a boat ride and danced together?" wheezed Rosaria weakly.
"We had a lot of fun together, even though I disguised myself as a human," wept the Koopa. "We also had our first kiss during the ball. There was also the time when you taught Junior how to paint; since then, he's now a professional artist."
"Don't forget the time when I mended your leg when you tripped yourself as a child. While everyone picked on you at school, I was one of the few who felt your pain."
"How could I ever forget?"
"Now once you take off, I'll always be there for you, no matter what. And tell our kids that I'll also be there in their heart when they understand that I'm saying farewell. Meanwhile, you did everything for us; you gave us a home, encouraged BJ to gain talent, and gave the Koopalings a new family. You only left us in order to protect the greater good."
"And now I want to spend more time with you."
"Sadly, my time has come, so I want you to remember this: don't let anyone put you down whenever they see you as some monster. Trust me, that's how you will be happy, my dear Bowser…" By the time the two kissed for the final time, Rosaria began to turn pale as salt and turned into cosmic dust.
Then, Darwin took off his mask, came to the heartbroken Bowser, and severely scolded to him, "You fool! Monsters are never meant to be happy! They are never meant to have good memories! They are never meant to make friends! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A WRETCHED, HORRIBLE, VILE, SAVAGE, AND UNLOVABLE BEAST AND THAT'S ALL YOU WILL EVER BE!"
"You foolish boy!" reprimanded the Cosmic Soothsayer, showing up along with the Lumas. "It looks like you haven't heard the other part of the prophecy! Bowser was indeed going to turn evil, but if he re-bonded with his true love, he would have gone back to the side of good. But now he will continue his dark path after you killed his soul mate. Princess Rosalina would not like this."
Darwin replied, "Don't say that I'm all responsible for this, but blame Mario, who untied Rosaria after betraying the beast! He's the one who came up the idea of the gun!
Bowser looked at Mario, who just came up, standing.
Mario confessed, "Bowser, I…"
"Mario, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" cried the Koopa, feeling deceived. "I trusted you when you made a promise to support me, no matter what! You used to understand my feelings!"
"Look, I'm-a so sorry. I never should've come up with the idea…"
"No more!" interrupted Bowser. "Mark my words, you deserter, I will get even with you one day! You Traitor Bros. will regret the day we ever met each other!" He then announced to everyone else before flying back home, "In the future, I will conquer the entire universe and make you feel every woe I had to endure, for how much I LOATHE ALL OF YOU!"
"Bowser, my friend who once was..." said Charlotte, with the group, seeing the Koopa fly away.
After the tragedy, Darwin was ultimately arrested by the agents for murder, followed by a trial where he explained everything like how he burned down the Smiths' mansion and tortured various outsiders like a blue hedgehog, as well as controlling and abusing her wife and abandoning Charlotte, his only child. Eventually, he was sentenced to jail once again, but this time, for a lifetime.
At Gothic's lair, Rosalina had finally defeated her dark brother after moments of "saturnian" rings, darkness-enhanced physical combat, Luma-shooting, teleportation via the shadows and darkness, and ultimately the release of the Power Star, in which Gothic was knocked out unconscious by the shooting stars.
"This isn't over," said a battered Gothic, taking a breather.
"You may always freeze my body anytime, but be warned, my spirit will always be in the lookout, like how I used to guide Victoria as my substitute," replied Rosalina pointing her stick at her brother.
After Gothic disappeared into the shadows, Victoria came to the lair to see the Princess. "I have bad news, your majesty. (Wipes a tear) As much as I can't bear to say this, your daughter, Rosaria, just died. Lord Nascosto, or better known as Darwin Kurosawa, the new ruler of the Tabo, killed her after the halt of Smash War II."
"…But why?" wept Rosalina. "Since I sent her away, my daughter and I never got to spend enough time together."
"Rosaria was once Darwin's girlfriend, and after she looked upon Bowser, she was electrocuted the red-haired man as 'punishment' for leaving him. I'm sorry that you couldn't have her around. At this time, I hope the stars look after her spirit."
Rosalina began to burst into tears now that her child was deceased. "NO-O-O-O-O-O-O!"
In the interim, by the time Bowser got home, he realized that his entire land was recently destroyed by the Tapo during the second galactic war, buildings and houses were on fire louder than a lion, crops were wiped out by the missiles like the dinosaurs, and many civilians were tragically killed from the ships' bombarding. And when he got to his castle, he learned that his home was completely demolished with Kamek, John Koopa and the rest of his siblings, and his children sitting on whatever were left of the place.
"Oh, no…" lamented Bowser.
"Dude, where were you when a horde of humans destroyed our home?" asked John. "It wasn't your fault, but as a ruler, how will you fix this now?"
"John, I am so sorry for all of this to happen. The rest goes to you, Kamek, my caretaker, Brutus, the cook and mechanic, Hercules, the basketball player, Fireball, the guitarist, Claire, my only sister and zookeeper, Rory, the gym coach, and Rick, the photographer. There's also Larry, the sports expert, Morton, the TV host, Wendy, the swimmer, Iggy, the mechanic, Roy, the wrestler, Lemmy, the ringmaster, Ludwig, the musician, and last, but not least, Bowser Jr, the most precious son of all. Now have I mentioned to all of you that Rosaria passed away? She was killed by Darwin Kurosawa, the bully from school."
Everyone grieved over Rosaria's death. Then, BJ cried, "It can't be. I miss Mom very much."
"So do I," his dad replied. "But I will make it up to you somehow."
Later, Bowser left his family and planted a Pipe Seed to unleash a cylinder to the Mushroom Kingdom. At Peach's castle, through a window, he saw Mario spending time with the princess, which was how the Koopa first came up with the idea of kidnapping the girl to give his family a new mother. But before he did, he returned home to deliver his people a speech after implanting a flag with his symbol:
"For so long, everyone has misjudged us and treated us like monsters. We spent years being bullied like heck, serving chiefs only to live under whips and chains, and feeling like there is no hope for us in which humans treat us equally. And now they burned down our houses and destroyed our food after all of our development. So is it okay that we're the victimized inferior whose feelings are never understood while everyone else treats each other fairly? Is it? Millions of us were killed, our hearts have been broken, and nothing good ever happens to any of us! We've had enough of this never-ending madness, and for the respect of our own kind, it's time to take action by conquering everyone's rights and putting them in line! We don't care if there are outside folks who are scared, homeless or diagnosed with diseases like the Black Death! They were meant to fear us Koopas, Goombas, and such, especially the Kooportentum Reges! If those brutes asked for monsters, then we'll give them the monsters like what they always wanted! We'll break THEIR hearts, take over their property, treat them like slaves, and make their lives miserable like how they made ours miserable! All we have to do is stand up and let our anger, hatred, and ferocity flow through our veins! Unleash the inner beast we always had! Let it go! Soon, we are all heading to the Mushroom World where we can build a new home and make plans to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and eventually all of life throughout existence! Long live evil! Long live KOOPAS!"
All of the people hailed Bowser and entered the pipe the King created, marking the beginning of the Super Mario Era.
Epilogue: The Post-Prophecy
Since Bowser's speech, many things have dramatically changed over time: First off, in their new home on the Mushroom Kingdom, the Koopa King's civilians became minions whose goal was to destroy Mario and his friends. Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings became plumber-hating bratty children when their father did not spent enough time with the kids in favor of planning his evil deeds; also, they came up with a motto when they chose to be their parent's minions: "We just love being mean!" Kamek was to teach Bowser all kinds of black magic, in order for him to succeed in his plans of kidnapping Peach. Later, because the King grieved over Rosaria's death at the throne room in his new castle, the minions were to build a statue of his deceased wife, as a memorial for all she did when she was alive. One day, Bowser was put to medical care with Nurse Clawdia when diagnosed with "polymyositis", a type of chronic inflammation of his once-refined muscles as a side effect of the Dilim Mushroom's cosmic powers particularly due to a broken heart. By the time he recovered, he was no longer as muscular as he used to be during his time with the Teologo; while retaining his strength, his shoddier bulk and once-again short tail impaired his physics, meaning that he could no longer keep balance, run or jump as fast as before.
Meanwhile, Bowser's former friends followed new paths as well: Larry Starcatcher became a traveling Marshall Arts teacher after retiring from the Teologo so he could train Mario and Luigi as well as the Toads until they were ready to fight evil. Antonio invited his red-capped cousin every summer to join a group that focused on archaeology called Team CYBER. Zack Hackrabid became a computer programmer in which he helped create top-rated video games. As for Ellen Mills, she continued her job as a researcher, but she also became Professor Frankly's assistant who tutored the Goomba students at the University of Goom, including a sassy one named Goombella (She sounds familiar). Charlotte Kensington-Kurosawa was adopted by Dr. Crygor as a granddaughter and assistant; she later changed her hair color and style, wore eyeglasses, gave up her cap, and renamed her as "Penny" Crygor to dispose her partially corrupted last name. As for Rosalina, she was given an opportunity to reclaim as job as the Grand Teologo Mistress, but she declined, citing that she was content to stay at the Comet Observatory with the Lumas, and that "Victoria will do just fine as the director after some long experience". But there was one thing the fellows had in common: they all missed the Koopa King as a leader and their friend.
One day, at Apricot City, Sonic the Hedgehog was taking a quick-paced stroll until he suddenly tipped from a lump at a sandlot. So he examined the lump, burrowed it, and found Bowser's abandoned diary from years ago, as a surreal surprise. He decided to read the book."Dear Diary, this is Bowser Koopa. Back in my home place, we lived happy lives when we were all supporting and loving each other (pages later…) There was the time when my mother sang beautiful lullabies right before every nap time. (sheds a tear) And that my siblings and I happily played together before the war changed everything and tore our lives apart during Smash War I. All of those humans saw our kind as savages, which was why they raided us for who we were and what we did. The truth is that we weren't the beasts people think we are. One day, people will understand that were just wanted to protect ourselves from danger. And while my sister and brothers were sent to a nice place, I was sent to a place full of misery where many bullied and discriminated me despite my royalty. Off course, I was sent to this city after I've been a monster to all in an island, but it's not that I wanted to be one. It was just that I was lonely and misunderstood (pages later…) Despite my misfortunes, I have learned that I was the 'chosen one' which explains they sent me the single-person pod instead of joining my siblings; since then, I never saw my family again."
After reading the diary, Sonic called everyone to a meeting to discuss about Bowser's undiscovered secret life and how he proved himself as a hero.
"You guys may not realize it, but Bowser was among the most loving heroes of all time," the blue guy told the civilians. "He did whatever he could to protect to our society and change how we see his own kind, such as saving me when I drowned in a lake." He then faced a grown-up Ace. "Ace Robinson, do you remember when he saved you when you fell from a cliff and saved your family from a ferocious bear?"
"I do," said Ace. "I mean, if it weren't for him, my family and I would've been killed."
"And what about you, Sandra?" asked the speed demon.
"That Koopa rescued my family from a fire set up by Darwin Kurosawa, as revealed when he was sent to the Teologo Federation and eventually told everything before his lifetime sentence to prison."
"That Bowser did well especially after he saved me from the explosion when I tried to put out the fire," added Mallow, who just showed up. "Since then, I regret the day I underestimated him…"
"And AG, you remember when the dragon turtle caught your brother Mirth Peepers for stealing your glass duck?" continued Sonic.
"Absolutely," replied the beagle. "You know, I miss having Bowser around in my café since years have passed. He was a good fellow corrupted by prejudice and his past. No matter what happened, I was one of the few who cared about him."
Sonic then showed everyone Bowser's diary. "You see this diary he made as a child? He wrote it to reflect his feelings about how he and his own species wanted to protect each other when they were seen as 'monsters'. You know, it seems to me that we were the REAL monsters. Because we mistreated him, misjudged him, bullied him, and definitely discriminated him, all because of a so-called prophecy!"
"It's time that we change how we see anyone distinct from us," said an elderly Ms. Kookie, who was Bowser's former teacher. "I remember when Darwin kept picking on the poor prince. We can't just judge people by their appearances or nature, but it's their choices that matter the most."
"I also have to mention that based on reports, Bowser joined the Teologo to be one of the greatest heroes in the galaxy, until he joined the Dilim and become someone he wasn't supposed to be, not because of a prediction, but how we treated him." added the hedgehog. He then looked at the reporter's camera with a smile. "Bowser, if you're here, we just wanted to say thank you for everything you did for all of us. Also, Rosaria would have said the same if she was here."
On a rainy day in the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser and Wart (who was first met at the café) were taking a stroll together near a cliff at a jungle, as a sign of their new friendship.
"I have waited years for our new friendship, so we can work together to ruin people's lives," croaked the frog. "Trust me, Bowser, being good only puts you in deep pain. And who needs those rotten humans when they do nothing to benefit any of us?"
"I hate those cruel humans!" replied Bowser. "I hate them so much!"
"So do I, buddy. So do I."
Then again, the Koopa started to wonder if there was somebody from the Real World who was showing gratitude for what he did years ago. He also thought about his numerous adventures with Charlotte and his crew from B.L.A.Z.E., implying that he still had feelings for them. Nonetheless, Bowser and his minions inaugurated the schemes of kidnapping Princess Peach…only to be foiled by Mario again and again.
Let all heroes keep this in mind: Evil isn't truly born, it is MADE.
THE END
