A/N: Hiya. From what my (only. ¬¬) first reviewer was saying, I'll add this that I wish I was able to add to my summary. This is basically a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast, the watered-down (Disney) version. Just thought I'd add that so y'all don't keep saying this. vv,, Anyways, onto the story.

Chapter I

Many, many years later, Bowser still ruled with his two most loyal subjects, Kamek and Kammy, by his side.

On his throne, he sighed. In almost a second, both magikoopas popped up and asked once again, "Is there anything we can get you, sire?"

He looked at them and said, "No, there's nothing you can give me."

The two, even though they would bicker, looked at each other in concern for their king.

Many miles away, a young princess was busy finding mushrooms in the deepest part of the Mushroom Forest. As she walked deeper into the forest, she noticed that the grass and trees started looking deader and ashen the farther she walked.

"Hmm, now this is peculiar. Why is it lush in the Mushroom Kingdom but then I get to this part of the forest and everything is as dry as bones?" She said to herself as she continued to walk.

When she finally emerged from the forest, her eyes grew in surprise as she noticed the reason the forest looked dead: a rocky wasteland.

Now, curiousity was getting the best of her as she started exploring her new surroundings.

What seemed like hours, she came upon a palace that looked deserted. She ran the best she could with her layers under her full skirt to the large doors. She looked left and then right before pushing them open.

She looked around and saw how years had aged this palace, even though it was all stone and strangely warm. Another thing she noticed that the outer appearance of the palace was horrendous, but the inside looked well lived.

She decided she would start going down halls, looking into rooms to figure out what exactly was in there.

While this was happening for a few minutes, Kamek popped into Bowser's secret library and said, looking a little flustered, "One of the guards told me that there seems to be a blonde-haired young woman, who looked like she was a teenager, wandering the halls. What would you like us to do, sire?"

Bowser, grumbling, looked up from his document he was working on and said, "Get one of the guards to find her and bring her to the throne room. I will be waiting for them." Kamek nodded and popped out of the room, going to follow orders.

Bowser continued to grumble as he got up and walked to a painting that was of his image. He poked the eyes with his claws, grimacing of course, as he never liked this passage. The painting slid silently upwards, revealing a passageway just large enough to allow for Bowser's enormous stature. This would lead him to the throne room in a manner of minutes as opposed to going the long way, which was how his subjects went.

Bowser walked through the hall and made it to the throne room before the guard and this intruder.

When the guard and Princess came, he was casually sitting on his throne. He looked down at her and said, "So, tell me who are you and what are you doing in my palace?"

Peach looked up at him and curtseyed before beginning, "I am Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. I was busy gathering mushrooms when I must have wandered too far and came here.

"Well, curiousity got the best of me as I started walking on your territory. I noticed your palace and, again, my curiousity got me wanting to check it out, so that is why I intruded. I am very sorry and I will leave immediately."

While Peach was telling her story, Bowser smirked. Whenever she was done, he chuckled, causing the princess to raise an eyebrow.

"I think you have the wrong idea, 'Princess', but you're not going anywhere." He said, air-quoting at the word "Princess", apparently not believing her royal status, even though her crown was resting on her head.

Her eyes grew in surprise, "But… But why can't I leave?!"

"Because you might tell people about what you have seen, and I can't have that. The thing is that no one knows, or remembers, about this kingdom. Just look at how you came here. You were curious because you've never seen it before. Besides, if you did tell people, then they will come and I can't have that. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here."

"But I wouldn't tell! I promise!" She said, not liking the idea of not being able to leave.

"Somehow I doubt that." He said, clearing his throat before continuing. "Now, you won't be a prisoner in a cell, but a prisoner of luxury. You will have your own guest room. You are allowed outside, but you are not allowed to leave the castle grounds at all. Is that understood?"

The princess thought on what she was being told before nodding. "Yes, I understand."

He smirked and said, "Good. Guard, take her to one of the nicer guest rooms." He continued to smirk as the guard dragged her away to one of the guest rooms.

When they left, Kamek worriedly looked at his king and asked, "Are you sure about this, your majesty? I mean, can we really trust this young woman to not leave?"

Bowser looked down at him and said, "Well, she may be blonde, but she doesn't seem like she's one of those stupid blondes. Maybe she dyed her hair or something. Anyways, I highly doubt she'd actually leave. She noticed my size and that I could break her in two or something worse if she disobeyed."

Kamek nodded, understanding his king's logic, and left him alone in the large and empty throne room.

A/N: I didn't think I'd get this chapter done already. I guess I have to thank my beta reader and "muse", my boyfriend. hehe. I'll make sure to get chapter two up.