It's been awhile since the last chapter, and I apologize for that. Although I went into this series with the intention of working on it whenever I feel like it, I still feel bad to make you guys wait for so long. Now in this chapter, I am going to be bringing up the version of Bowsette that's in the video game art for Super Mario Odyssey where she was originally a Bowser-ized version of Princess Peach instead of the other way around.
Chapter 15: Like Mother, Like Daughter
In the weeks that followed, Bowser, Jr., wandered throughout Peach's castle with Bowsette occasionally checking on him to make sure he wasn't trying to escape at Mario's insistence. Meanwhile, Toad was going on extended trips to seek out Porcini Valley while Peachette was constantly debating about whether to tell him the truth or not. Daisy was also doing her own research on Bowsette, and she talked Luigi into helping her despite his reluctance. There were also reports of multiple Koopas and Goombas being sighted along the borders of the Mushroom Kingdom, but Peach assured the Mario Brothers it wasn't anything to worry about.
"But if Bowsette is telling the truth and Kamek is assuming you kidnapped Bowser, then he's probably sending the Koopas and Goombas as scouts before planning an invasion," Mario speculated.
"I agree with Mario," Luigi concurred. "You should increase the number of Toads along the borders for extra protection, Princess Peach."
"While I appreciate your concern, boys, I don't think we need to worry about Kamek just yet," Peach said while sipping on her homemade peach tea.
"Maybe if we can get Toadsworth out of his coma and find out what this 'Super Crown' he mentioned is, we can return Bowsette to her former self and 'He' can talk some sense into Kamek," Peachette suggested. "Though I wonder if Kammy is still in her coma…"
"It wouldn't surprise me if she still is, because I don't think Kammy would send scouts from Dark Land," Mario figured. "She would most likely come here herself with an armed escort and demand that Peach hand over Bowser."
Just then, Bowsette stormed into the ballroom that Peach was in along with everyone else and said, "Has anyone seen Bowser, Jr.?"
"No," Peach shook her head. "Weren't you watching him?"
"I was, but then I went into the kitchen for a snack and he was gone," Bowsette explained.
"Where did you last see him?"
"The hedge maze near the kitchen, I think."
"Sounds like a good place to start as any," Mario proclaimed and left the ballroom with Bowsette following behind.
Peach Luigi and Peachette followed too, and soon all five of them entered the hedge maze checking every part of it. They soon came upon the center and found an open wooden chest, which made Peach frown.
"Do you know what was in that chest?" Mario asked Peach.
Before Peach could answer, the leaves of a nearby tree suddenly shook. Cautiously, Mario approached the base of the tree with Luigi nervously creeping behind him. Then as Mario looked up, his eyes grew wide while Luigi's eyes did the same once he saw what Mario did. Sitting near the top of the tree was a small girl with tan skin, fiery red eyes and hair. Apart from wearing a green dress that had yellow lining, black spiky braces, and a white neckerchief with teeth on it, the Mario Brothers' attention was drawn to a pink crown on the girl's head as well as the small green spiked shell and orange tail that were partially visible.
"Quit staring at me, you jerks!" The little girl snapped, gripping onto the branch she was sitting on tightly. "Where's Auntie?"
"Here I am," Bowsette said as she stepped between the Mario Brothers. Though when she saw the girl, her eyes became misty. "B-Bowser, Jr.?"
In response, the little girl looked away. "I made a big mistake."
"What did you do?" Bowsette asked.
Pointing to the crown, the little girl explained, "This was in a chest in the hedge maze. I thought it was a Power-Up, so I tried it on and…this happened. But when I tried to remove the crown, it wouldn't come off so I hid up here because I was scared of what you would think of me…"
Then to everyone's surprise, the little girl started crying. So Bowsette leaped up and grabbed the branch that the girl was on. As a result, the branch and the rest of the tree bended downward as Bowsette landed on the ground.
"You had no reason to hide from me, or worry what I thought about your actions," Bowsette assured, giving the little girl a stern yet comforting look. "Because the one who's really at fault is me."
The little girl gave Bowsette a confused look. "You? But why?"
"Because…I'm your Papa. I found that same crown you did, Son, and tried it on just as you did. So that's why I look this way, but I was too embarrassed to tell you the truth."
"H-How do I know you're telling the truth? And why don't I look exactly like you?"
"I can explain that too."
"You can?" Mario and Luigi exclaimed at the same time.
"Of course, but I didn't think it would be relevant to this Super Crown mystery," Bowsette said. "Though given what's happened to my kid, it might shed light on some things."
"Like what?" The little girl demanded. "You're not making any sense."
Sighing, Bowsette used one hand to grab the little girl by the neckerchief and pull her off the branch letting the tree fall back into place as she did this. "Before you and the Koopalings were born, I met someone that looked like Princess Peach. Only, she looked like an older version of the way you look now, Bowser, Jr. She told me that she was from an alternate reality where Bowser had used a magic hat to transform Princess Peach into an evil version of herself that resembled me.
"Well, before I looked like this. Anyway, this Bowser-ized version of Princess Peach ditched Mario and became a tyrannical queen who ruled over both Dark Land and the Mushroom Kingdom with Bowser serving as a mere political figurehead. But apparently that wasn't enough and she hired Professor E. Gadd to create an inter-dimensional portal that led to here. She then seduced me and promised to return once our children had come of age."
"Then this alternate version of Princess Peach…is my mother?" The little girl's eyes widened.
"Yes," Bowsette nodded.
To be continued…
