Chapter 10:

Mario, Luigi, and their friends entered the Mushroom Kingdom, crossing the border from the Koopa Kingdom to the Mushroom Kingdom at midday. As they crossed over into the Mushroom Kingdom, they activated their Identify Friend Foe transmitters and set it to a Mushroom Kingdom signal to indicate that they were friendly. Two other airships that looked like smaller versions of the captured Koopa airship and flanked them. They followed the captured airship closely but they did not bring their weapons to bear, nor did they lock onto the "Koopa" airship. Soon, a voice came in over the radio, saying, "This is Airship One of the Toad Brigade. Please identify yourselves immediately."

Mario took the radio and replied, "This is Mario Mario and friends. We're all safe and sound and we have a gift for the Mushroom Kingdom."

After a few moments of awkward silence, the other ship's captain then spoke, "Identity confirmed. Welcome home Mario."

The airships then came up alongside the captured Koopa airship and they escorted the ship to Princess Peach's Castle.

Later that day, Mario was sitting inside guest quarters inside Peach's Castle, reflecting on the events of the last three days. He mostly thought about Kevin Koopa and the more he thought about the young Koopa Prince, the more he realized that the two of them were remarkably similar, in more than just their respective powers. Kevin was not like his father, or the rest of his family for that matter. The prince had demonstrated honor and showed a great deal of courage. There was also a true aura of nobility about the prince that the rest of his family lacked. The main issue, though, was the fact that Kevin was fanatically loyal to his father. He might not have enjoyed kidnapping Peach or using people the way his father would, he would never turn on him, which was a shame since Kevin would not only be a much better king than his father, but he would be far more open to peace negotiations than Bowser would.

Mario then focused back on his battle with Kevin, knowing that his battle with the prince back at the castle would not be their last. It was obvious that Kevin had the edge in hand to hand combat and in other forms of close combat. The two seemed far more even in ranged combat, though. He had been able to hold his own in a ranged battle with Kevin, despite the fact that Kevin had a large array of ranged attacks. However, should Kevin be able to keep Mario away from his superpowers the way he had in their first battle, then chances were that he would likely be able to defeat the plumber. He then thought about how Kevin would almost certainly be analyzing his own second battle with the hero and decided that it would be a good time to undergo some training. He wanted to make sure that when he faced off against Kevin the next time, that he would not be crippled should he be without his superpowers.

Just as he was about to jump off that train of thought, something came to him and suddenly, Mario became concerned once more about the prospect of facing off against Kevin in the future. What if Kevin had been holding back during his second fight with him? Mario thought back to how he had defeated Bowser just before his fight with Kevin, and the fact that Kevin did not use many of the attacks that he had used against him and Luigi in their first battle against the prince. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed as if Kevin had been holding back throughout the battle, allowing it to be even so any victory would seem like it was achieved through dumb luck. The prince was good. Mario quickly realized that he would have to train hard if he wanted to defeat the Koopa Prince in their next meeting, for he figured that the prince would not hold back at all next time.

Mario then rose from his seat and proceeded to make his way over to a bookcase when he heard a knock at the door. He looked over at the door and called, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Peach," the voice of Princess Peach responded from outside the room.

"Come in," Mario called back to her.

The door opened slowly and Princess Peach walked on in. She went over to Mario and, standing next to him, asked, "So, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," he answered. "I didn't suffer any serious injuries in my fights with Kevin and Bowser."

"Good," Peach said. The two of them then stared into each other's eyes for a moment before Peach continued, "I feel terrible that I wasn't there to help you, and that I was unable to mount a rescue of any kind."

"Don't worry about it," Mario said, trying to reassure her. "I know that you were praying for me."

"But I wanted to do more," Peach countered. "I tried to do more, but Toadsworth and the others said that I would only have made things worse, and in the end, I agreed with them. Maybe they were right, maybe not. One thing I do know is, though, is that I don't want to be a liability to you anymore."

"But you're not a liability," Mario insisted. "You have repeatedly proven your worth in battle. Heck, you even saved me once. Don't sell yourself short, Peach. You are of great value, in more ways than one." He then gave Peach a hug. There, they embraced for a few moments before Mario disengaged himself from her.

"Thank you, Mario," Peach responded. "Still, I feel as if there is more I can do. To that end, I want you to teach me how to fight."

Mario's eyes went wide. "Me?" he stammered. "But I'm a plumber."

"But you also have a black belt in karate," Peach responded.

"Yeah, but I got that a while ago, and I'm only a first degree black belt."

"That's one degree more than me," Peach said. She then grabbed his hands and cupped them in her own. "Please, Mario. I don't want to be a liability anymore. I won't let myself constantly get kidnapped anymore without making Bowser or whoever else takes me pay for it in the process."

Seeing the determination in Peach's eyes, Mario looked down and, after giving a knowing smile, answered, "Okay. I'll teach you."

"When do we start?" Peach asked.

"At your earliest convenience," the plumber answered.

"Is today alright?"

"Sure," Mario answered. He then made preparations for Peach's first lesson. Training began at six o'clock in the evening, just after dinner.

Over near the main tower of Bowser's Castle, Kevin rushed to the Royal Medical Ward in order to get the latest on his father's current condition. The room was luxurious, with a massive bed against the wall in the center of the room, with a large window for the Koopa King to gaze out of. It was painted gray and also had a large sofa for the king to sprawl out on once he was able to move once more. Immediately after the escape of the Mario Brothers and their allies, the first order of business had been to take the injured Bowser to the medical ward so he could be patched up. Not only that, but also all of his children, save for Kevin, had also sustained noticeable injuries during the escape of the Mario Brothers. As he entered the medical ward, he saw his father lying on a massive bed surrounded by doctors. The doctors were still placing bandages and casts on the Koopa King. Larry, Lemmy, and Morton had each sustained significant injuries when the captured airship had fired on them in the final few minutes of the escape. Kevin had gone to check on their conditions first, knowing that they had sustained even greater injuries than his father. The doctors working on them, though, had reassured him that they were out of the woods and were going to make full recoveries. He had then visited with the rest of his siblings, who were being tended to by the other doctors in the ward. So far, they had sustained less severe injuries than Larry, Lemmy, Morton, and their father. After talking with each of them and sending them his best regards, he had made his way towards his father's room.

Upon entering his father's room, he made his way towards one of the doctors and asked, "How is he?"

The lead doctor looked back at him and, seeing that the voice belonged to Kevin, answered, "Your father is out of the woods. He had sustained hypothermia from being frozen by the Ice Storm in the battle. With his other injuries, he was far more vulnerable to the sheer cold of the attack item. He also had frostbite on several of his extremities, but we have since used magic to cure him of that. He still has some cracked ribs, a left arm that was broken in two places, and a shattered knee. Still, even though he is out of the woods, he is still in need of his rest, for his other injuries will take time to heal."

"I understand," Kevin answered. He then looked over at his father, who still seemed to be awake. "May I talk to him?" the prince asked.

The doctor carefully considered the Koopa Prince's request before replying, "Okay, my lord, but make it brief. Your father needs as much rest as he can get."

Kevin nodded and then went over to his father. Once he arrived he gazed into his father's eyes and gave a kind smile. Bowser looked up at his son and his eyes widened with surprise. "Kevin," he said, with not only surprise, but also a hint of joy. "You came to see me."

"Yes, Father," the Koopa Prince replied. "I wanted to see how you were doing."

"Did the doctors tell you already?" the Koopa King grunted in annoyance.

Kevin nodded. "I'm sorry I was not able to do more to help you," he said, bowing.

"Don't worry about it," Bowser said in as kind a voice as he could manage as he winced when trying to touch his son's shoulders. This surprised Kevin greatly, but also caused him to smile. Bowser then continued, "You held your own against Mario when he had access to his superpowers. Heck, you beat him before, when you managed to take them away, and would have killed him had it not been for my stupid order."

Kevin did his best not to blush. Soon, Bowser continued, "Me? I got my tail handed to me on a silver platter in two battles against the plumber in the same week; and that was with your wand that granted me not only access to many of Mario's own superpowers, but also access to several battle items that the Marios have used on occasion. And even with all of that, I still got beaten by a plumber who had two power-ups on him but refused to use them as per his rules." Bowser then grunted again as he had shifted his weight as he was trying to sit up while he had been on his small rant."

"Don't sell yourself short, Father," Kevin said, trying to calm him down. "We all were caught off guard by Mario's request. I even wonder if he and Luigi actually held something back in my first battle against the two of them. And even then, I only won because I was able to take one of their allies who had entered the battle hostage. Had that ally not entered the fight and become a liability for the Marios, who knows how that battle would have turned out."

"Now you're the one selling yourself short," Bowser almost snorted. "I know you've been just as strong as me, if not stronger, for quite some time. Heck, you probably are stronger. You're definitely far more dangerous and have a wider set of skills." Bowser then took a breath and sighed before continuing. "The truth is, Kevin; I've always been scared of your power. I've always feared that you might try to take my throne and get me to abdicate. I know that the army loves you, as do the civilians…"

"No, Father," Kevin said, trying to stop his father from continuing on his line of thought. "You are my father, and my king. I have no wish to take the throne until it is my time. And my time will only come once you die of old age, and nothing but old age."

Bowser gave a strained laugh. "I know that now, son," he said with pride. "The thing is, though, that I did not know that for quite a long time. As it is, though, I know now, that you do view me as a father, rather than as a competitor. It is time for me to treat you as my son, rather than my competitor and potential usurper. As such, once I heal and come up with my next plan to kill Mario and kidnap Princess Peach, you'll be a part of the plan."

Kevin's eyes widened with delight. "Really?" he asked.

Bowser nodded. "Yeah. One thing these recent events have shown is that you are unmatched in skill and possibly even power. Pragmatically, it would be stupid for me to keep you out of the next Peach kidnapping. However, the real reason I want you in on the next plan is because you are my son. And we have been too far apart for far too long."

Bowser then smiled again at his son. His son then bent down and hugged his father, which caused him to wince. Kevin quickly released him, saying, "Sorry, father."

"Don't worry about it," Bowser answered with a smile. "I needed that," he finally admitted. Kevin then spent the rest of the day with his father, keeping him company and listening to the beginnings of his father's next plan.

After night came around and Kevin returned to his room, before he went to bed, he decided to do some more reading on the Super Mario Brothers. He now had personal experience with them and he had decided to write a diary about his battles with them. One thing he was quick to note was the fact that he held the edge against either brother in close combat. It was when the battle went beyond melee range that the two sides were far more equal, though he had to account for the fact that he had held back in his second fight with Mario. He also made note that while Mario seemed to be a little overweight by human standards, he was not weak, or slow by any means. In fact, he was quite fast and exceedingly strong. Whether or not that was due to the magic of Hylia or the fact that all humans were that strong was unknown, though he believed it to be the former, given Peach's lack of physical strength compared to Mario. That was another thing that came to mind. Since Peach and Mario were close friends at the least, and likely boyfriend and girlfriend, he strongly suspected that Mario might actually teach her how to fight since Bowser was still out there and still had his sights set on Peach. A pang of sadness and regret came over Kevin. He bore no ill will towards the princess and knew that if Mario were to be killed that she would be trapped in a loveless marriage with his father.

Kevin then went over to his computer and checked the news. So far, the official line was that three hundred Koopas had been killed in the escape of the Mario Brothers and their allies. Kevin knew that that was a conservative estimate, and that the actual total was likely closer to five hundred, if not one thousand. He grimaced at the news. While his sympathy for Peach's future plight did not leave him, he knew that the destruction of the Mario Brothers was his top priority. Too many Koopas had died in this endless war. And he knew that if nothing changed, that many more would die in the future.

The prince then turned off his computer and set down his books and his diary. He could look over more information on the Marios tomorrow. As he went into his bed and pulled his covers over himself, he began to wonder about the true origins of the Super Mario Brothers. He knew that there were conflicting stories on their origin. At first he shook off the thought, but then, he began to wonder if the true origins of the Super Mario Brothers might make fighting them easier. He could not help but think that learning their true origins might give him a weapon that he could use against them in his next fight. As he went to sleep, he made a note to himself to begin research on the Marios Brothers' true origins after he awakened tomorrow.