Chapter 2: Bowser's New Look

"What do you mean Bowser is missing?" Mario remarked when he and Luigi arrived at Peach's castle one week after their previous visit.

"That's just it," Peach answered, showing a hand-drawn poster depicting Bowser's dragon-like face. "These posters were all over Dark Land according to Toadette, who was wandering along the edges of the kingdom."

"Why didn't you ask me to come with you?" Toad asked Toadette, looking concerned. "If a Koopa Troopa spotted—

"It's okay, Toad, I'm fine," Toadette insisted. "I wasn't there long enough to be spotted by any passing Koopa."

"Well, I say good riddance to Bowser," Mario declared.

"How can you say that?" Peach exclaimed. "Don't you care about Bowser's well-being?"

"Of course not!" Mario argued. "That monster has kidnapped you and nearly taken over this kingdom more times than I can count, yet you're concerned about him?"

Peach looked downward. "Even if he is a monster, he's still a living creature and I wouldn't want any harm to come to him. I mean, wouldn't you feel the same way about Yoshi if he suddenly disappeared?"

"Yoshi and Bowser are not the same thing!"

Just then, a yellow version of Toad suddenly appeared in the ballroom area. "Princess, there is a stranger who wishes to see you."

"Did you ask them who they were?" Peach asked.

"I did, but they wouldn't tell me unless you talked to them in private," the yellow Toad responded sheepishly.

Sighing, Peach said, "Then I shall speak to them myself."

Lifting her dress slightly, Peach walked out of the ballroom. When she was a few feet away, Mario started to follow her but was held back by Luigi.

"What are you doing, Mario?" Luigi asked.

"Following Peach, of course," Mario replied. "Something about this set-up smells like a trap by Bowser, which might explain why he's gone missing."

"Because he wanted to trick us into thinking he was gone, when really he planned to sneak into the castle disguised as a stranger?"

"Exactly! Now, if we can catch him in the act now there's no way he can take off with Peach."

So Mario and Luigi left the ballroom as well, though Toad and Toadette noticed so they followed in turn. The four of them came to the top of the stairs that led up to the ballroom, which showed a large foyer area where Peach was walking up to a figure wearing a brown tarp over them. After exchanging a few inaudible words, Peach led the figure into a private study adjacent to the foyer which was behind a locked door.

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Inside the study, which was full of sofas and books on various shelves, Peach had closed the door behind her after the stranger had stepped in first.

"Now, why do you wish to see me?" Peach inquired.

"Princess," the figure addressed, sounding nervous. "What if I told you that…I'm Bowser."

This caused Peach to gasp in surprise, just as the door opened revealing Mario and Luigi.

"Nice try, Koopa, but you're not kidnapping Peach again!" Mario declared.

"Mario!" Peach exclaimed, as the small plumber jumped over her head and socked the figure claiming to be Bowser in the face so hard that they fell backward with the tarp completely covering them.

As Luigi came in and stood next to Peach, Toad and Toadette decided to lock the door behind them so Bowser couldn't escape. Meanwhile, Mario leaned forward and grabbed a piece of the tarp with his gloved hand.

"Now, Bowser, what have you got to say for yourself?" Mario taunted, and lifted the tarp in one swift motion.

What everyone saw shocked them: on the floor lay a tall woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a shoulder-less black dress adorned by spiked braces on her wrists and upper arms. But she also had some unusual features including a pair of curved horns, a small spiky green shell on her back, an orange reptilian tail, and pointed ears. Then between her horns sat a golden crown with a pink mushroom-like cap.

"Bowser?" Instinctively, Mario let go of the tarp and backed away.

"What happened to you?" Peach asked, stepping closer.

In response, the woman flinched and scooted back.

"It would take too long to explain," she said, covering her visibly large breasts with one hand. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'm willing to listen, Bowser," Peach assured, extending her gloved hand. "After all, if you wanted to kidnap me you would have already done it by now. So clearly, you've come here for another reason. Is that it?"

The woman claiming to be Bowser looked up at Peach's outstretched hand and instead she pushed herself up. "I had nowhere else to go. When I showed this form to Kammy Koopa, she freaked out and forced me to flee from my own castle because stupid Kamek mistook me for you, Princess."

"Oh, that's terrible," Peach sympathized. "So how did you end up like this?"

Frowning, the woman stated, "After you and Mario abandoned me on the moon, the Magikoopas brought me home using their combined magical powers. Then I went on a personal quest to find something that would allow me to get even with you two, when I came upon this crown."

While the woman pointed to the crown on her head, Peach eyed it quizzically.

"Odd," Peach remarked. "I don't think I've ever seen a crown like that before."

"I don't know what it is," the woman admitted. "But I foolishly tried it on thinking it was a Power-Up, and the result is this form which I now possess. Yet no matter how many times I've tried, this crown refuses to come off."

To demonstrate, the woman used both hands to tug at the crown. Sure enough, it wouldn't budge causing Peach to frown.

"Maybe Mario can help you," Peach suggested.

"No way!" Mario objected. "I'm not helping Bowser if you paid me a million Gold Coins!"

"Well, I didn't want your help anyway, Plumber!" The woman snapped.

"Luigi," Peach pleaded.

"Um, I'm with my brother on this one," Luigi responded nervously.

"Then I guess I'll have to help Bowser myself." Before Peach could step closer, Mario stepped in front of her.

"This still seems like a trap," Mario insisted. "So I'll deal with Bowser if you don't mind."

"Good luck, Plumber," the woman said sarcastically as Mario leaped onto her shoulders and grabbed the crown with both hands.

To be continued…