NOTES: Man, 11 months? It's been awhile, hasn't it? No, I haven't lost interest in the story or anything. I'm actually going two different directions: I wrote out the bare bones of the entire story (I cannot give accurate chapter counts right now, but it will be at least 45), while I'm also modifying the overall structure of my previous chapters. The Shard 2 chapters specifically... I get a ton of compliments on them, but they're a retroactive cringefest to me, as they were part of the original writing. Parts of it (especially the dialogue) were unchanged for 15-20 years even during my 2014/2018 rewrites. It's my goal to give those chapters some TLC, hopefully before the end of the year.

So, yeah... I've spent 2020 addressing both directions, and I'll be sending updates in both directions accordingly. I'm hoping to get back to monthly updates (maybe even more often) so this can be finished before the end of 2022. So, Chapter 30 won't take long at all, especially because it'll be the end of Shard 3. I liked writing everything within the story so far, but Shard 4 was my favorite section of all, with focus on Powser, fluff and battle (quite similar to the beginning of Shard 3, actually).

Anyway, back to the chapter: I decided to split the original Chapter 29 into three separate chapters, just because... Without giving spoilers, I felt like everything was too jumbled when put in a single chapter. That explains the unusually short chapter here (even shorter than Chapter 10!). Nonetheless, thanks for the support, and I hope you enjoy!

Peace and quiet.

After years of raising screaming, bratty kids, Bowser assured himself he'd enjoy the foreign concept. To observe nothing but his thoughts—who wouldn't want that?

But now, that's the territory he dreaded. Too many possibilities filled his head. Will he get his kingdom back, or will he be forever known as a failure? Does Peach truly want to be with him, or is she just being kind? Her parents—specifically her mother—always spoke ill of him. They couldn't quite possibly work out with that pressure, and he's sure Peach would have a different mindset towards him around her parents.

Words from the universe's endless corners barraged his mind, but he can't form the mess into a coherent statement. He wanted to be with Peach – he always did. He wanted her to reciprocate the love. Only recently have they shared mutual understanding, albeit in less than ideal situations, but he figured Peach's respect towards her parents reigned supreme.

He needed to snap out of his deteriorating thoughts. He should focus on the future, but he must prioritize the present's issues.

Bowser left his room and paced the hallway, recalling everything from Totomesu's words to the prophesies themselves. He felt reassured about his beliefs on who The Usurper was, but everything he witnessed contradicted the claim. Kamek went with the king's beliefs throughout the years, but the magikoopa showed skepticism before the Jewelry Land fiasco occurred.

Maybe they're wrong about everything?

Like a poison mushroom, the thoughts infected every inch of his mind. He hated thinking for reasons like this. He always let Kamek think for him—he just took credit for working strategies.

The koopa king passed the designated meeting room and peered inside. Only the front row of lights illuminated the meeting room. He grimaced. A meeting room never felt so... Empty, or hopeless. At the table, he saw Peach rest both elbows on the table, covering her face with both hands. Her slouched, bowed demeanor reminded him of a dying ember during Dark Land's winter, shrinking and weakening as the bitter cold winds rammed it...

Bowser grasped onto the door's knob and pulled. He cringed at the squeaky hinges, which caught the princess's attention. Bowser pulled the chair next to her from under the table and sat down.

"Something up?" Bowser questioned.

Peach turned her attention to him. Tears didn't flow down her face, but Bowser sensed conflict, distress, and confusion within her sapphire eyes.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not," Bowser boldly stated, "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"I just..." Peach sighed, "I don't know what to do."

"About what?"

"About everything," Peach murmured, "How do we free my kingdom? How will we stop whoever's behind this? And, most of all, what do my parents know that I don't?"

"You think they know something?"

"Bowser, my parents purposely ran away without telling me about it," Peach raised her voice, "I spent weeks worrying about them, all while they sat up here in a lofty castle and watched news reports! They did nothing to stop this invasion!"

Bowser reran the concern through his mind, desperate to choose the best path. He wanted Peach to be critical of her parents' fundamentalist beliefs, but he also wanted her to be happy with them. He didn't want her isolated from her parents, as he was to his.

"It's just... Ever since we got here, I finally noticed," she exhaled, "Every time I find something that makes me happy, they want to shut it down and burn it. I'm glad they're alive and well, and they want the best for me... But I also want the best for myself. They choose simplicity. I choose happiness."

Bowser grinned, "Well, I could always kidnap them."

"Bowser, no!" Peach shoved Bowser's shoulder, although she couldn't hold back her giggles. Her smile disappeared within seconds, and she continued, "But Bowser... Can I be real with you?"

Confusion about her demeanor welled within the king, but he shrugged it off, "Sure."

"Bowser..." she said, "When we were alone, we always talked about the past, right? Your ancestors in your hallway, your early life at the beach, your isolation in the cave when we were at the riverside..."

Bowser scowled, "Yes."

She sighed, "But what about the future? What will happen to our kingdoms? To our families? To us?"

The thought panged the koopa king's chest, as if a thwomp crushed his steel-hard ribs. Even with him thinking over the possibilities, Bowser didn't consider the present's vital role in paving the future's unmarked roads. Questions flowed left and right throughout his head, each jumbled with another, but only one escaped his mouth. One he desired clarification on.

"Us?"

"You know... Me and you. Us," the princess bowed her head, "What we're planning is for everything to turn back to normal... And in normal times, we'll be enemies again."

"What do you mean?" Bowser asked. His mind's fray prevented him from fully comprehending everything she spoke.

"Bowser, don't play dumb now," Peach shook her head.

"But what if I am dumb?"

A giggle escaped Peach's mouth, breaking her stern facade, "That's the first time I heard you insult yourself."

"Maybe that bombshell koopa popped my inflated ego," Bowser joked, and Peach broke into a smile at it. He continued, "Now, you were saying?

She cleared her throat, "Bowser, I-"

The hinges squeaked, and Bowser cringed as Daisy, Luigi, the royals, and the Koopalings barged in. Kamek entered behind them and flipped on the lights.

"I'll talk to you after this," Peach turned from him.

The new arrivals shuffled around the table and sat at a seat they've chosen, each upright and attentive. Bowser groaned as Kamek sat next to him with a stuffed folder, as if the wizard wrote a dissertation just for this meeting. The magikoopa unsheathed his wand, and Bowser found both Larry's and Kammy's faces on the tip.

"Greetings, everyone. I called this meeting to discuss our predicament. It appears we're in more dire straits than I thought we were," Kamek said. He ignored the gasps around the room and continued, "Sinister magic's being used in Peach's castle. Larry found dark pebbles capable of possession and other magic."

Peach gasped.

"So, you're saying this person's a sorcerer?" she questioned, "Then how do we beat them?"

"Defeating them requires an overview of the stones they're using," Kamek explained, "These pebbles are called Soul Stones. They are the closest thing to the kind of magic elite magikoopas use, called Spirit magic. Spirit magic's capable of many functions, such as possession, necromancy, and oneiromancy."

"On-ur-what?" Peach asked.

"It's the interpretation and even manipulation of dreams. Oneiromancers are powerful beings, as both dreams and the subconscious areas of your brain are more interconnected than anything. They can instill bravery, fright or any other instinct into any lifeform," Kamek replied, "Spirit magic is just one form of magic. We also have Elemental magic dealing with the manipulation of the elements representing every state of matter, Light magic dealing with knowledge and guidance, and Cosmic magic dealing with the laws of physics themselves. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, and each are mere branches of the universe's lifeforce—the anima.

"In this case, Spirit magic's more potent than the Elemental magic or the Light magic we use. I used Spirit magic to bring the undead back to life—dry bones, boos, and the like. Others use Spirit magic to communicate with the dead. But when it's abused, Spirit magic could control anyone the user chooses."

"Someone wants someone else back from the dead," Kammy translated from Kamek's wand, "That's what Book Nerd here's implying."

Bowser stifled a chuckle, as did the others. Kamek exhaled.

"I'm afraid this is no joking matter. If we aren't careful, their Spirit magic will corrupt all of you."

Bowser looked around at the others' varied expressions, ranging from Peach's concern and Luigi's nervousness, to Daisy's enthusiasm and the Jewelry Land royalty's collected demeanor. He reflected Morton's indifferent scowl—he didn't know how long any conflict will be, nor how powerful the enemies are, but the koopa king's too determined to step back now.

"Then we fight back," Bowser demanded, "And who are these pieces of trash invading our kingdoms?"

"Ahh, the part I was just about to get to," Kamek answered, "Larry's account is the last piece of the puzzle we needed. Unfortunately, I don't think any of you will be exactly... Thrilled about who's behind this."

"Who?" the table questioned.

"The person behind this is the same person responsible for Dark Land's civil war," Kamek adjusted his glasses and sighed, "And that person... Is me."