Bowser flew as fast as he could over the familiar terrain that lead to the Mushroom Kingdom. He was thrilled to have the Clown Car back. It was his favorite out of all his vehicles, and the most apt for visiting Princess Peach. But as he drove, doubts lingered in his mind. When Bowser left the Darklands, he had assumed that Peach would be in her castle, but he realized that he didn't truly know where the princess was. She may not even be in the Mushroom Kingdom! Yet the closer he grew the more certain he became that she would be there waiting for him.

As the orchards slowly changed into suburbs beneath him, Bowser's heart quickened. Although he still had plenty of time to romance Peach, he couldn't afford to waste any of it. He had to impress her. Reactively, he imagined himself lifting heavy objects and breathing plumes of fire all to Peach's adoring applause. He smiled as he watched her cheer for him as he hit Mario over the head. But even better, he pictured her shyly giving him a homemade card with the words "You're my hero!" penned in her perfect handwriting on the inside. Bowser was so lost in daydreaming that he didn't realize that he had reached the Mushroom Kingdom.

Adrenaline rushing through his veins, he flew low towards the right side of the castle. Luckily it was dark enough that no one could see the car approaching. Peach's room was in the furthest tower. He turned the wheel in an arc, guiding the car up to the top most window on the pillar. Gently, he rapped on the glass. No one answered. He knocked again, slightly louder, but Peach didn't appear as she always did. Bowser folded his arms across his chest and sat back on the leather seat of the Clown Car. He opened the glove compartment and pulled out the emergency chocolate that he kept hidden there. Settling back, he began to eat the dark squares one by one, as he prepared to wait as long as it would take for Peach to return home.

After an hour and a half, Peach finally entered her bedroom. As she shut the door Bowser frantically tapped on the window pane. He was thrilled to finally get her attention. Through the blurry glass, he watched each step she took toward him, enraptured. Time seemed to slow as Peach slid the window open, Bowser hanging onto every second until he saw her smiling face-

"GO AWAY!" Peach screamed, her voice nearly breaking.

He was stunned. She had never greeted him like that before. Something was wrong.

"Peach, are you ok?" He asked concernedly.

"Am I ok?! I had the most miserable night of my entire life and before I can even think you show up and try to take me away from the last shred of familiarity I have left in this world!" She cried. Small tears trickled down her cheeks, though she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Bowser's heart broke for her.

"I don't have to bring you to the Darklands if you don't want me to." He offered. "I can just stay right here and listen."

Peach smiled softly, but it melted away almost instantly. She edged closer to the open window and leaned slightly further towards him. Peach lowered her voice, as if she was telling a secret. "I did something terrible," she confessed. "I was attending a ballet with Daisy and after the curtain closed I needed to get to the exit quickly for," she paused,"personal reasons. But there was a huge crowd in my way, all yelling at me and flashing my eyes with their cameras. I couldn't afford to get stuck there, so I-I-I," Peach broke into tears before she could finish her story.

"Hey, hey, it's alright." Bowser tried to soothe. "It isn't all bad. You looked so cool when you pushed your way through that crowd!"

"How do you know what happened?" She asked suspiciously in between sniffles.

He nervously fiddled with the chocolate wrapper. "I saw it on TV. It was broadcast all over the news." He admitted.

"Fabulous." Peach said it as if it were a curse-word. "So my reputation is ruined not only in the Mushroom Kingdom, but also on every other kingdom in the planet!"

"I wouldn't say it was ruined," Bowser treaded cautiously. "You just gave yourself a punk-rock makeover."

"I'll make sure to mention that in the countless interviews that are undoubtedly scheduled for tomorrow!" Peach's head fell into her hands in defeat. "What am I going to do?" She mused. "I've spent my whole life sacrificing for this kingdom, but all of it falls to the wayside the one time I mess up." She said slowly. "I'll never meet their expectations. I don't deserve to be a princess!"

"You don't have to be perfect for them by doing everything right. You're already perfect by just being yourself." His amber eyes met her crystal blue ones in sincerity.

Peach's face softened at his compliment, her cheeks flushing pink.

A sticky molten feeling swelled in Bowser's chest. "Plus, you don't have to go to those interviews tomorrow, Peachy. Come back to the Darklands with me." He offered, hope rising in his heart.

Her eyes fell down to her hands. "You know I can't do that, Bowser."

At her rejection, a flash of white-hot anger rushed through him. "Because you're too good for my kingdom?" He asked flippantly, his temper taking control of his mouth.

"No." She said pointedly. "I can't keep running from my problems like my sister did. Although I have disappointed my citizens, and myself, I must face the consequences of my actions and be a better princess for them."

Bowser's heart dropped in his chest. Self-criticism swarmed and engulfed his thoughts: it was a stupid idea to let Peach choose to come to the Darklands. She would never willingly go there without an incentive. When it came to deciding between Bowser and both Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom, she would never pick him. He would never be important to her. She would never love him.

"Why can't you make me happy just this once?" He blurted, his voice nearly breaking.

"I can't make everyone happy all of the time," Peach countered softly. Silence followed, pierced only by a faint electronic ringtone from within her room.

Suddenly Bowser was struck with inspiration on how to win Peach over. "What about your own happiness?" He challenged. "Do you want to relive everything that happened over and over again tomorrow? If you leave with me you won't have to."

His comments caught her off guard. After a minute of thought, she responded.

"I can't go to the Darklands this time." Peach said apologetically. "But the next time you visit me I promise I will come with you." She conceded solemnly.

Bowser's heart and spirits soared. "Do you pinkie swear?" He asked with a smirk, his sense of humor returning to him.

Peach extended her dainty finger. "Pinkie swear with a cherry on top," she declared as she bent her little finger around his.

"With sprinkles?" Bowser asked seriously.

"With sprinkles." Peach affirmed, a smile escaping from her lips.

A/N: It was so much fun seeing the comments predicting what would happen next in this story! Thank you so much for your constant love and support, seriously it's a dream come true that people read my writing. At this point I can see the tiniest glimpse of a light at the end of a tunnel for this story, so if lengthy fanfics aren't your thing don't worry too much! I hope you have a marvelous week and that you get some vitamin D in the spring sunshine! Much love, Guardian