Bowser gently tucked the stretchy elastic band of the birthday party hat under his chin and adjusted the pointy top in the mirror. Although he usually detested any hat other than his crown, he would gladly suffer through wearing the tacky and uncomfortable accessory for the sake of Junior's birthday. Kamek had decorated the whole castle with bright balloons and streamers. There was an inflatable bouncy house and a slip-n-slide set up in the front grass. A colorful piñata dangled from one of the towering trees. Everything was set up according to plan.
Quietly, Bowser crept up the stairs towards the room shared by Junior and Larry. He slowly opened the door and walked to Junior's bed. Bowser took out his birthday cowbell and began to ring it furiously near Junior's ear.
"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's your birthday day today!" He yelled loudly. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! It's time to celebrate!"
Junior shot awake, panic in his eyes. Upon seeing his dad in a birthday hat, Junior's mouth broke into a grin.
"Happy birthday Junior!" Bowser smiled back.
"Thanks dad!" He beamed.
"Can you both shut up?" Larry groaned from the bed beside Junior's.
"Sorry Larry, you can't go back to sleep. As the first ones awake on this birthday day, it's your jobs to wake up the rest of your siblings in whatever way you want."
Junior and Larry's eyes lit up and they grinned mischievously. Together they scurried from their beds and raced into their siblings rooms, rousing them from their slumber.
While everyone got up, Bowser went down the stairs to the kitchen to see that the breakfast spread was set out. He had asked the chefs to make chocolate pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and lots and lots of hashbrowns. He took his seat at the head of the dining table and waited for the Koopalings to arrive. It didn't take long, the scent of the food wafting through the air brought everyone to the table.
"This looks so good! I'm glad you didn't try to make the food again," Wendy shot a pointed look at Bowser.
"Yeah that was a mistake." He recalled the blackened waffles that he had tried to make for Ludwig's birthday.
"What present are you most hoping to get?" Roy asked Junior.
"A new painting set!" He answered between mouthfuls. "I used up all the blue and red in my last one."
"I thought you wanted a year's supply of dirt. My bad." Roy smiled at the look of horror on Junior's face.
"He's kidding, Junior," Bowser explained.
"Can we go play outside now?" Morton begged.
"Once Kamek's done setting up and the guests arrive." Bowser answered. "We still have about an hour."
Twenty minutes later, the Koopalings finished their breakfast and then all but Junior raced off to their rooms to finish wrapping their presents for the birthday boy before the party started. Junior and Bowser sat together while the staff cleared away all the dirty plates and silverware.
"How does it feel to be another year older?" Bowser asked.
"I'm still younger than everyone else. I wish I had someone to boss around," Junior answered.
Bowser chuckled at his response.
"No matter how old you get older siblings will always tell you what to do," he laughed.
"There's a visitor to see you, Your Majesty," one of the servants said from the doorway. "Shall I bring them in?"
"I guess so, there's no where else for them to go." Bowser tried to hide his irritation that a guest had the audacity to arrive an hour early to the event.
Immediately, Bowser's mouth melted into a smile when he saw Princess Peach enter through the door, holding a perfectly wrapped pink present in her arms. She rushed over to him and Junior and planted a firm kiss on his cheek.
"Happy Birthday Junior!" She beamed. "Where should I put the gift?" Her eyes met Bowser's.
"Can I open it now? Please?" Junior begged.
"It might be helpful to open it now before the party starts," Peach stared pointedly at Bowser.
"Alright, go ahead." He acquiesced.
Peach handed Junior the package. His sharp little claws tore through the wrapping paper and box underneath. In a flurry of cardboard, Junior scratched the box open to find a birthday sash, colorful birthday glasses and face paint.
"Thank you Mama Peach!" He excitedly placed the glasses on his nose. "I love it!"
Peach smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Junior, calling me "Princess Peach" is fine."
"I like Mama Peach better. I'm going to show Larry my presents!" Junior raced out of the room to find his brother.
"I'm sorry about that," Bowser started, "I've tried to talk to him about it and I know that it bothers you-"
"Bothers me? It's never bothered me, I just don't want to confuse him, that's all. I'm not his mother." She explained.
"His mother didn't even bother attending her own son's birthday party." Bowser said quietly.
Peach's crystalline blue eyes flashed with sympathy. "I'm so sorry. I know that you wanted her to come."
"I wish that she wanted to be part of Junior's life. He's already started asking questions about her, I'm sure that as he grows up he'll wish that he had gotten to know her for himself."
"You're a wonderful father." Peach took his hand. "He's very lucky to have you."
"I'm lucky to have him." He squeezed her tiny hand in his. "If it weren't for our deal I would have lost my chance to raise him."
Her eyes glistened with emotion. "If it weren't for you I would have lost my kingdom! Six months ago I was ready to face an uprising but now my approval ratings are better than ever." She smirked. "I think the growth of tabloid sales may have had something to do with it."
Bowser grinned, recalling the media buzz that they created as rumors about their relationship went viral.
"Dad, there's someone outside to see you!" Junior ran back into the room, fully adorned in his birthday accessories.
"Excuse me for a minute," Bowser told Peach. "It's probably the balloon-animal guy," he whispered, leaving the room to investigate.
In the meantime, Junior crawled onto Peach's lap and gave her a big hug.
"Thank you for the birthday gift! This is my best birthday ever!" He told her.
"Have you decided what you want to wish for yet?" She asked.
"What do you mean?"
"In the Mushroom Kingdom, there's a tradition that when you blow out the candles on the top of your cake you make a wish, and because it's your birthday it has to come true. But you can't say it out loud or else it won't work." Peach explained.
"Here when we blow out the candles we are blowing the past year away," Junior told her. "But wishes are better! Can I still make one even though I'm a Koopa?"
"Of course." Peach smiled warmly, wrapping her arms around the sweet boy nestled in her lap.
Later that day, after all the guests had arrived, all the balloon animals had been created, and all of the candies flung from the piñata, Bowser Junior sat upright on the edge of his chair, anticipating the moment that he had waited all day for. Ever since Peach told him about the birthday wish, he had been mulling over what he would choose. Although he wanted to wish for one thousand bars of chocolate, he knew that eventually he would get tired of the flavor. There was a downside to nearly every wish that he thought of. He didn't want to risk anything, especially since it was his first birthday wish and he still wasn't sure how he was supposed to do it.
Bowser slowly lowered the birthday cake down before him. The candles were flickering atop the cake and the birthday song echoed in the air, sung horrendously off-key thanks to his siblings. Time seemed to melt and Junior felt the pressure fall upon him. What would he wish for?
He looked around the room frantically, hoping to find inspiration. The song had almost come to an end and he would be forced to choose.
Suddenly, just as the final word of the song rang out, Junior knew what he would wish for. Looking around he saw how happy his seven siblings were. Even though they all fought, he knew that no matter what they always looked out for him, even when they bossed him around. He saw the happiness in Bowser eyes as he held hands with Princess Peach. Junior saw pride too, and the love that he had for his son. Lastly, he saw Peach, her smile wide and encouraging, as if she could read his mind. She nodded at him and Junior knew it was time for him to make his wish.
I wish that our family would stay this happy forever. He thought quietly to himself.
With a quick breath, he blew the candles out. Their flames flickered and died until all that remained were ashes.
A/N: It is finished! Thank you always for reading and I want to give a special thank-you to everyone who has followed or favorited this story, and especially to those who have left comments. I don't have plans to write any more Mario fanfictions, but I do want to keep writing in the future. Please let me know what you thought of this story and I wish each and every one of you only the best. Much love, Guardian
