A/N: Woo hoo, Christmas in July! My gift to you? Koopalings. The first (of many) Koopaling-centric scenes are located somewhere in the middle of this chapter. Thanks for all your support (and non-support, I got my first anonymous flame on Friday, I think. A complaint based on pairing, not writing ability. Yessss!) Thanks again for reading and reviewing.
A few weeks after Peach and Mario's date, Daisy had decided she was due for another day visit to Peach's castle. Daisy had managed to accidentally break an expensive decorative window in one of her many sneaking-out escapades and she expected that servants, laborers, and her angry father would be in and out of her room all day to clean up her mess. Knowing Luigi could help cheer the Sarasa Princess, Peach decided to invite the Mario Brothers over for cookies and drinks.
Peach threw a winning smile over at Mario as she brought a tray of piping hot Yoshi cookies out of the oven in the kitchen. It was her favorite recipe from a lovely upcoming chef traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom from Yo'ster Isle.
"Everybody ready to decorate?" she asked excitedly.
Luigi nodded his head and smiled while Daisy clapped her hands together. Mario preferred when Daisy and Luigi were around at Peach's Castle; it took a lot of the pressure off his individual responses to Peach.
"Well, we just need to wait for the cookies to cool, but I've made everyone some spiced hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows!" Peach said happily. Looking out the window, she noticed that a few snowflakes were slowly drifting to the ground. The first snow of the winter! "Hey everyone, it's snowing!"
"Oh man, it never snows in Sarasa Land, you're so lucky!" Daisy exclaimed.
After a while, the cookies were cool enough to decorate. Peach sat next to Mario and grabbed a star shaped cookie to paint like a power star. It's so nice to be with all my friends during the holidays, I really am very lucky. She sprinkled yellow sugar over her star and selected another cookie. She glanced over at Mario who was busy making miniature Mario cookies that appeared to be chasing a large Donkey Kong cookie. Hm, I wonder what sort of present I should get for him.
For the rest of the afternoon, the four friends laughed, chatted and shared sweets. When her guests finally left, Peach ate a light dinner and retired to her room, snuggling into hot pink velour track pants and lacy white tank top. She got under her freshly laundered sheets and opened a magazine to hunt for gift ideas. She closed her eyes and thought of the fresh snow powdering the ground. She would have to make a trip to the Mushroom Mall. Maybe tomorrow. I'll have to pick up some new earmuffs and mittens as well.
She picked up a pen off her nightstand and began making a list of all the things she wanted to buy while she was out. A loud tapping on the French doors of her balcony interrupted her jottings. As she got out of bed to investigate, the doors opened with a sudden blast of freezing night air, revealing the Koopa King.
"What are you doing here?!" she asked, alarmed.
"Are you gonna ask me that every time I drop by?" Bowser shut the doors behind him. He briefly admired the princess in her showy white tank top and added, "It's pretty cold out there, and since you're comin' with me, I suggest you get a jacket."
Thankfully, Bowser's unexpected entrance was so shocking to Peach that she did not notice his inappropriate gaze. "Drop by"? Since when does Bowser just "drop by"? And wait a second, "coming with me"?
"I-I'm not going anywhere!" she stammered. "Wait a second. I thought you said we could be friends. Friends don't kidnap each other, Bowser."
"Well, what kind of friend never comes to visit? It's not like you were going to come on your own!" Bowser was getting impatient. "Look, I--I really need your help with something, okay?"
"I might have come on my own if you had sent a proper invitation," she lied. "What is it that you need help with?" What could Bowser possibly need from me?
"My kids! They're coming home for Winter Break early and I haven't prepared or done anything; I want 'em to have a good holiday and I haven't figured out what I should do for them and…would you please just get in the Clown Car?"
"I don't know what to say Bowser. I really don't think--"
"Please?" He looked at her with his amber eyes in an expression of exasperation. "You said you would come on your own, so prove it! I mean, I already said you're going to be coming with me anyway, but I'd really like it to be your choice. One weekend. That's all I'm asking. I just need your help for one weekend."
Once again, Peach got that uneasy awkward feeling. "You know they'll come looking for me."
"Not if you make it a royal diplomacy trip, they won't. Say you'll do it. It's Thursday night and I'll have you back by Sunday night, Koopa's honor."
Peach cursed herself and her situation as she was once again riding in Bowser's Clown Car. She never did find out what made her say "yes" to Bowser's plea. It may have been his horrible desperation, or her unwillingness to say no to someone in need. It may have been his pleading amber eyes or her duty to the Mushroom-Koopa alliance. It may have even been fate, but whatever it was, it did not matter now because there she was, sitting quietly in the passenger seat of the Clown Car, her luggage rattling in the back.
"So, uh, I'm glad you're coming to stay." Bowser said for the third time that trip. His heart was racing and his tongue felt like it has swollen inside his mouth leaving him at a loss for words. She was staying at his castle for the whole weekend, and she was willing!
She smiled pathetically. "Yes. I'll be glad to help." Why is it always so ridiculously awkward? "What did you have in mind in terms of, um, preparation?"
"What? Oh, uh, I don't know, that's what I got you for. I mean if I knew what to do, I'd have done it already. Not that I'm not glad that you're coming to stay, because I am." Fourth time. "So, what do you think we should do, Princess?" "We." Oh, how he loved that word.
"Oh, okay. Well, I think the castle ought to have some wintry decorations, perhaps a tree with some ornaments."
"Now you're talking! We'll get the best decorations coins can buy! We'll make the castle look so awesome…" He trailed off. Peach looked quite sleepy. "Uh, tomorrow. Yeah, have to make sure you get your rest."
Peach doubted she would get any rest at all, as she dreaded the idea of trying to get a good night's sleep in Bowser's Castle. In her mind, the only reason she had been able to sleep at all the last time she was over was that stress and illness had exhausted her, physically and mentally.
Eventually, after a bit more strained conversation, the Clown Car landed at Bowser's Castle and a friendly Shy Guy in green winter wear showed Peach to her room. As she pulled back the now familiar golden silk and white cotton linens, she found the bed was quite soft, even softer than her own bed in her castle, thus, she had no trouble at all drifting right to sleep.
Ludwig sat quietly as he poured over his books for the last time that semester. His bags were already packed and waiting for him in his dormitory. Just one more exam and it would be back to his castle for him and the rest of his siblings. Unlike the rest of the Koopalings, Ludwig felt ambivalent about returning home. Sure, he would enjoy seeing father and the many comforts of maid service but… He looked up from his books to see the object of his affections reaching for a book on a high shelf, the real reason for his frequent trips to the library. Beautiful. Smooth raven hair, azure eyes, warm flesh, smart, and quiet. This-- this is a Koopa worthy of everything!
So far, Ludwig had managed to compose entire concerts about his love, but had not yet found the courage to introduce himself. Ludwig sighed, now he would be away from his secret love for nearly a month and certainly, absolutely nothing would happen.
Father would not approve. He shuddered. If he knew…
He ran his hands through his fine, tangled blue hair. In truth, he did not find his long hair to be entirely flattering, but it served a greater function. As next in line to the Darklandian throne, he had begun developing small horns on either side of his head. Ludwig had little interest in politics or ruling and thus had none of the political finesse of his father. Ludwig feared that, one day, someone would force him into his birthright and, as a result; he might ruin the kingdom that his ancestors had worked so hard to build. Therefore, his long hair hid the horns in an act of rebellion against his position.
Meanwhile, Junior was very upset that he could not manage to take home every piece of art that he had made during his first semester away.
"Now Junior, why don't you just pick the five pieces you like best, and we'll have the rest mailed to your house?" his teacher asked sympathetically.
"What if it gets lost? Those are au-au-ten-tic pieces of royal art! The postman will maybe steal them and then he'll sell them for a million coins!" Junior cried, miming his father's huge ego. He tried, to no avail, to shove another oversized ceramic figure into his suitcase. "Fine, but nobody better take my art."
He looked over his works for his favorite pieces. He picked up a couple of watercolors of him and his dad, an "abstract" crayon piece, and a wand he made for Mama Peach.
"Oh, are you taking that to give to your Mama Peach?" his teacher inquired. The day Junior constructed the wand had proven quite memorable; Junior had spent the entire class period telling his classmates outlandish lies about a special tunnel from his room to Peach's Castle and the tea parties he and the princess had together every day.
The wand had a yellow star with glass gemstones pressed into it and pastel ribbons tied around the base. He had made the wand in honor of Peach's birthday early in the fall.
"Yep, I gotta take this with me. It's got special Koopa magic powers. Bad things would happen if someone like that bad man Mario got it. Only Mama Peach can use it right."
Amused, his teacher asked, "Oh? What magic powers does it have?"
"Don't you know?" he asked impatiently. "It's a Star Rod. It makes wishes and stuff. Dad used to have one but that stupid Mario took it away. Dad says we have to work hard to make all of Mama Peach's wishes come true before she'll come live with us. Dad says he doesn't know what she wants to wish for; I think maybe chocolate ice cream or probably some girl stuff. But that's why I made this. Now she can make all her wishes come true and then come play with me."
His teacher looked at Junior adoringly, feeling sadness for both him and his father. Even with all his pranks, antics, exaggerations, and lies, she would certainly miss him over break.
Yells and loud banging noises coming from outside jarred Peach awake in the morning. Perhaps the Mario Brothers had already come to rescue her, despite the eloquent letter she had written to dismiss herself. She quickly rushed to the balcony to see what was causing all the commotion. As she opened the double doors to the pre-dawn light, a silvery mist of cold winter air snaked into her warm bedroom. That's odd. I didn't know it ever got this cold in the Darklands.
As she looked out upon the land, she could see that, by decree of the king, string lights decorated every house and every tree. In the distance, she could faintly make out Kammy's purple robes as she hovered on her broomstick shouting orders to the Koopa Troopas and Goombas below. The troops were standing in rows holding the biggest evergreen Peach had ever seen in her life. They were trying to stuff it through the front gate into the castle's main foyer without much success. On the ground below to her left, Kamek was leading a large army of Magikoopas. He paused what he was doing and looked up at her on the balcony.
She waggled her fingers in an awkward wave and, unable to restrain her curiosity, shouted down, "What's going on? What are you doing?"
Kamek smiled at the pretty, young thing in his grandfatherly way. He cleared his throat and placed his wand to his mouth with a sweeping gesture. Startling Peach with his suddenly magnified voice he responded, "Ah, good morning Princess! I hope we didn't disturb your sleep. As per His Highness' wishes, we are preparing for the Koopaling's arrival by way of a Mushroom Kingdom style holiday."
Peach looked confused, so Kamek continued, "I believe Kammy is direction operations about the tree while my royal corps of Magikoopas and I…well in short we will be summoning snow. I suggest you return inside Princess, if my magic isn't as aged and frail as I am, there's likely to be a storm headed our way."
Kamek chuckled at his own joke and then returned to leading the Magikoopas in the ancient rituals and chants. A snowflake caught on one of Peach's eyelashes before she turned to go inside. She opened the wardrobe to find an assortment of pink fabrics of all different weights and textures waiting to serve her every need. She quickly settled on a thick winter dress with long sleeves, a damask patterned bodice, and a fur-trimmed hood. She quickly fixed her hair and applied some makeup before slowly sneaking out of her guest room. Not knowing what to do, she slowly wandered the strangely empty halls of the castle. At last, she came across a Goomba maid who squeaked when she saw her.
"Oh, you're up already? His Lordship said we were not to disturb you for at least another two hours but here you are! His Highness has been up all night planning after you two had talked last night. It seems you've really inspired him! I can take you to the dining hall and you may be able to catch him finishing his breakfast. I'm certain he would enjoy the company…"
Peach wasn't entirely sure she wanted to catch the Koopa King finishing his breakfast, but between being at a loss for things to do and the talkative maid's eager stare, she hesitantly accepted the offer.
"Excellent, the king should be most pleased. Right this way, please, it's a bit of a walk so let's hurry."
Peach's soft-soled ballet flats made pleasant pitter-patter sounds as she walked the stone and red-carpeted castle floors. As she traversed the quiet halls, she looked around and tried to make note of the way back to her room, just in case she needed to make a quick retreat. After the first three minutes of mental note taking, she determined it a hopeless cause and instead paid attention to the castle décor. All of the long twisting hallways had incredibly high ceilings from which amazing chandeliers hung precariously, seemingly defying the laws of physics. On the dark granite walls, there were candelabra and large-scale paintings of the members and ancestors of the Koopa lineage. Some faces she recognized easily, such as Bowser and Junior, but others she had a hard time placing.
Interrupting Peach's musings, the Goomba maid suddenly stopped and said brightly, "Here we are!" She noiselessly swung the heavy door open for the princess who saw Bowser at the end of his long dining table hard at work with his sketchpad, pastry in claw.
Peach chuckled nervously upon seeing Bowser's face, screwed up in concentration. Bowser, who was busy sketching a picture of Peach as his queen, heard the chuckle and quickly looked up to see his sketch drawn into life. Shocked, he dropped his bagel, closed his sketchbook, and stood up to greet Peach in one swift and clumsy motion.
"I--I'm sorry," Peach began with her hands clasped and her eyes cast downward. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Uh," For once, the great Koopa was at a loss for words. "Don't be! I wasn't coming up with any new ideas anyhow. Sit down and tell me everything about holidays in the Mushroom Kingdom!"
Bowser pulled out a chair for Peach and she slowly sat down. "Okay. Well, uh, in my kingdom, we usually have a tree and we decorate it."
"Mm hm, yep, have one of those. I've got the biggest, baddest tree of them all!" he boasted. "Hey, will somebody get in here and get the princess some breakfast? We've got a big day!"
"And I usually make my very special holiday cookies…"
She looked beyond Bowser into the room where they had finally managed to place the large evergreen. Magikoopas were now magically hanging large strands of ribbon and lighting magical candles on the branches. The Koopas hung crystal ornaments that were so beautifully delicate, they looked as though they might shatter if she dared to give them a wrong look.
"Cookies! Of course! My kids love cookies, I mean, they'll love whatever I tell them to love but, I know they'll love anything you make. I mean, why wouldn't they? You're a really good cook and…" Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did he always manage to make himself sound so stupid when she was around?
"Oh, well I'd be happy to make them today. I--I'm the only one who knows the recipe so it has to be me." said Peach, eager for any excuse to spend the day alone or at least away from her awkward "friend", Bowser.
Bowser cleared his throat, "Peach, you're my guest today, I'm not gonna lock you up in the kitchen and make a servant out of you or something," he said trying to think of a way to make sure she stayed with him all day.
"Oh, I really, really don't mind."
"No, that's just not gonna work," he muttered to himself. "Ah, I've thought of a brilliant plan! You will teach me how to make these special cookies and I will make them with you!"
Peach raised her eyebrows and smiled nervously. She said in a high voice, "Yes. That sounds like a great idea." Oh Stars, what have I gotten myself into? Ugh, the sooner we do this, the sooner it'll be over. Smiling falsely she said, "Well then, let's begin right away; I'll take my breakfast in the kitchen."
After having yet another small sampling of the kitchen's fine assortment of liqueurs, Peach was feeling much warmer and merrier indeed. Technically, the alcohol was an ingredient for her cookies but, in actuality, it was some small therapy for her shot nerves. Peach tied her apron behind her back and nodded courteously to the head chef who was standing with his legion of sous-chefs, all poised at the royal duo's disposal.
"So, first you'll want to measure out the flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients and put them in the bowl," she instructed the Koopa King. Bowser had absolutely no kitchen experience in his entire life apart from the heavily supervised breakfast he had made during Peach's last stay, so he tried as best he could to follow her instructions perfectly. He carefully measured each ingredient, almost down to the individual grain.
"Don't worry, it doesn't have to be perfect, just throw it in! Now, we're going to add the spices."
Bowser watched, entranced as Peach measured tiny spoonfuls of various brown powders, and added them to his flour mixture in the bowl. "That's it? That's all the spice? Look at how much other stuff we have, how is anyone even gonna taste that?" he demanded. "Let's put more!"
"Hey, I thought I was showing you my recipe,"Peach scolded kindly. "Besides," she said as she brought the dish of sparkling brown powder to her nose. "These spices are quite potent, they must be very fresh."
She offered the dish to Bowser, who bent down and took a giant whiff, accidentally inhaling some of the finely ground powder through his nose. Immediately his eyes began to water and he was barely able to turn away before he let out an enormous sneeze and some accompanying fire.
He turned his scrunched up face to Peach, who looked mildly terrified and squeaked, "Bless you."
After washing his claws, Bowser declared that he believed it a better idea for Peach to crack the eggs and in turn, he would be in charge of mixing. He watched in wide-eyed reverence as she nimbly moved about the kitchen with the ease of a seasoned professional. Even as she was just doing something as simple as cracking eggs or measuring oil, her beauty and grace astounded him.
In truth, Bowser had never spent much time with Peach aside from the kidnappings. On their adventures together, Mario had always monopolized her time and made sure to keep Bowser well distanced from the princess. Then, when Bowser kidnapped her, she was usually just screaming or mad the whole time. However, Bowser felt she was beautiful even when angry. Therefore, one could only imagine how entranced he had become while she was calm.
"Bowser?" Interrupting the Koopa King from his daydream, Peach explained, "Um, it's time to mix, did you still want to?"
The startled Bowser replied, "Of course!" He took a long look at the mixing machine, and then he looked at Peach. Then, he looked at the mixing machine again before giving Peach a sheepish smile.
"Oh. The on switch is on the top. You just set the power level and turn it on!"
Aha! Here we go, time to be the best mixer Peach has ever seen. Full power! He quickly turned the dial to the red number nine on the mixer and pressed the "on" button before anyone had a chance to stop him. Before he was fully cognizant of what was happening, he had completely covered his entire face and most of the kitchen in white powdery flour.
He turned to Peach who stood wide-eyed looking at his ghostly white face. She began shaking with laughter until she could not hold it in any more. Bowser burned with angry embarrassment as her clear laughter rang like a bell though the room. She was laughing at him and he hated it; nobody laughed at the Koopa King.
"I--I'm so, so sorry!" she said though giggles, "I should have--ha ha."
She placed her hand lightly on his arm to steady herself, banishing all his previous feelings of anger and embarrassment, replacing them with dreamy butterflies.
She looked into his eyes and said with all the seriousness she could muster, "I should have told you to start at low power. I'm really sorry."
"It's fine," he said absently, still concentrating on her hand on his arm. After an awkward silence, Peach realized her hand was still there and quickly removed it.
"Well, uh," said Bowser, recovering his dignity from his awkward situation. "I think the chefs can handle the rest of the cookies. I need your help with something else; it's pretty urgent. I don't usually do holiday presents for my kids because the spoiled brats pretty much get whatever they want all the time, but I was thinking that they'd really like something you had picked out. So, after I, uh, clean up, I'd like to take you on an official tour of the world famous Darklandian Bazaar."
"I would like that," Peach said softly.