Long after the eight pipe frame karts were wheeled away and the smell of burnt rubber and gasoline was swept off in the summer breeze, eight figures lingered atop a small, grassy hill, chatting away. The sun had set three or four topics ago, letting the landscape around them be bathed in the shifting light of the aurora-like racetrack they'd dubbed Rainbow Road.

The conversation shifted once again, looping back to the action-packed events of the day. Bowser, who'd been sulkily seated a few feet back from the rest of the group, leapt to his feet and stomped towards the center of the pack, shoving Toad and Koopa out of the way.

"Hey! You're not so great. That stupid blue shell is the only reason I lost. I would've crushed you!" he bellowed.

The first ever Mario Kart champion laid in the grass at the center of the group, clutching an empty champaign bottle and giggling madly. She leaned up just long enough to look Bowser in the eyes before bursting out laughing again and falling back over.

"But you diiiiidn't!" the princess sang as her giggles subsided.

Embers began to gather in the Koopa King's mouth as he loomed over Peach. "Guess I'll have to do it now then," he growled.

"Eep!" Peach tried to scramble out of the way, but stumbled and slowly tipped over, rolling backwards head over heels down the hill. Everyone stared in tense silence for a moment, before a fit of giggling let them know that their champion was totally fine.

"Gah!" The smoldering flames in Bowser's maw were ejected in a feeble cloud of smoke as he felt a stern hand clap on his shoulder.

Bowser glanced back to see Donkey Kong Jr. glaring at him, nostrils flared. The athletic ape's face said "Back off, pal," but his mouth said "Ook!"

Bowser swatted the hairy hand away. "I'd crush you too, but it looks like I already did that back on Vanilla Lake!" Bowser guffawed loudly in the ape's face, but DK Jr. just crossed his arms and scowled. "Mario! Why'd you even invite this chimp chump?"

"At least he was invited," muttered Toad.

Bowser whirled around to face Toad. "I heard that, short fry! You wanna get toasted too?"

"Oh don't you dare!" Peach was back on her feet and marching up the hill. "I'm not about to let you ruin this whole day just because you're a sore loser! Why I- ah!" She stumbled and tumbled once again, flopping face first into the soft grass.

"Mama mia." Luigi gave her a nervous poke on the arm and let out a sigh of relief when Peach flashed a thumbs-up. "Maybe we should get her home."

Mario nodded. "That's a good plan." He snapped to his feet and spun around, making sure to give everyone a quick look. "I guess that's it then. Thank you so much for playing my game!"

There were some cheers, whoops, and high-fives as everyone stood up. Jr. and Yoshi gave Peach congratulatory pats on the back as they made their way down the hill. Toad gave Koopa a quick, sneaky little fist bump before scampering off to Peach's side.

"I'll go start up the Clown Car, your silveryness!" Koopa said, running off before Bowser could process his words.

"Your what?" Bowser hollered after him. "I'm a champ! And if you say anything less, it's treason!" He waited for a moment and shook his head when it was clear his minion wasn't listening. "Bah, forget it."

"You two go ahead and take her," Mario said to Luigi and Toad. "I'll keep an eye on big bad Bowser."

"Okie-dokie!"

"Got it!"

"Good niiiiiiight!"

The enemies stood in silence for a couple minutes, watching their friends and rivals meander their way towards Lakitu's garage in the distance and, once that got boring, the rainbow lights dancing across the meadow in rhythmic patterns. It was truly unlike anything Mario had seen in the few years since he'd returned to the Mushroom Kingdom. He'd have to track down whichever friend of Lakitu's found this place and give them a huge thank you.

Mario's peaceful reflection on Rainbow Road was brought to a sudden end by a hearty "Gaw haw haw!" He turned to see Bowser now striking a combative stance beside him.

"Huh?" Mario scrambled to a battle pose of his own.

Bowser cackled again. "You really think you can 'keep an eye on me,' plumber boy? You're no match for me today!"

Mario dropped the pose and tilted his head confusedly. "Huh?" he repeated.

"I was gonna fry Toadstool and you didn't move an inch. All that fast driving has made you slow! Or something like that."

Now it was Mario's turn to laugh – a hearty chuckle that made is mustache bounce on his pudgy cheeks. Bowser, in turn, dropped his battle stance as well, but instead of looking confused, he bristled with sudden fury.

"Hey! I didn't even tell a joke! What's your deal?"

Mario stopped laughing and grinned. There was no hint of smugness or mocking in the look, just earnest amusement. "You weren't gonna do it."

Bowser faltered for just a second before looking just as angry as before. "That's- shut up! Don't act like you understand what an evil guy like me is gonna do!"

Mario shrugged. "Would've ruined the fun day though."

"Bah. Think I care about your fun? The whole point of crushing you guys in those races was to ruin your fun!" He crossed his arms and glared down at the stumbling pink dress in the distance. "Toadstool just got in the way."

There was a long silence before Mario spoke up, his tone sober. "Bowser, it's okay."

"Huh?"

"It's just-a me, Mario."

"Huh?"

"I know you've got a reputation. You want all these guys to think you're the big bad. But I already know you're tough." He laughed and knocked on his chest. "You've knocked the wind out of me enough times to prove that. So you can say you had fun. I can take it!"

Bowser furrowed his brow. "What? That's stupid. You're stupid."

Mario frowned. "So you didn't have fun?"

There was a long pause. "Beating you losers was pretty fun, I guess. Even if Toadstool stole my thunder. There. Happy?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Why do you even care? They got some weird rules about guests where you come from or something?" Bowser thought about the idea for a second before breaking into a bombastic villainous laugh. "Sounds like a great way to beat you. Thanks for the tip, loser!" Bowser's triumphant laughter cut off at the moment he spotted Mario grinning again, this time just a little bit mockingly. "What gives?"

"You're trying real hard to look bad, Bowser."

"Shut it!"

"I just want everyone to have fun when I'm having fun!"

Bowser snorted. "Even your worst enemy? What, can't hold a grudge?"

Mario rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, you're not so bad when we're not fighting."

In a flash, Bowser snatched Mario by the front of his overalls and yanked him forward until the heat from the Koopa King's now-fiery maw threatened to singe his mustache. "Not bad?" growled Bowser. "I am the king of evil, Bowser Koopa! Hear me, punk?"

Mario held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry, sorry!" He let out a quick, relieved gasp as he was released. After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he looked back up at Bowser, who was eyeing him suspiciously, but had at least cut off the flames. "What I meant is, you're cool."

"Am I cool?" scoffed Bowser. "Is the king of awesomeness cool?"

"I wasn't asking."

Bowser continued unfazed. "Is this big bad fire-breathing monster cool? Yeah I'm cool!"

"Yeah," Mario said plainly.

"Yeah I am!"

"Yeah."

"Yeah!" Bowser roared, his proclamation echoing across the meadow, drawing brief confused glances from anyone still at the garage.

Mario waited for a moment for Bowser to calm down before nodding. "Yes. That's what I said."

"Hm." Bowser narrowed his eyes and stared at his rival. What he did not expect was to be locking eyes with a man flashing the most wholesome little smile he'd ever seen. For just a brief second, a grin crept onto his muzzle too. Not a wicked grin or a smug one or even a little bit of a cocky one. Just a happy little grin.

Of course, King Bowser Koopa could only let that sort of display stand for so long. The grin quickly twisted into one that was simultaneously wicked, smug, and cocky. "Guess you're not as dumb as you look. You at least got good enough taste to know a cool dude when you see one."

Mario's expression hadn't changed, which was enough to take Bowser aback for just an instant. "Thank you!" the plumber said without missing a beat.

Before either one of them could say anything else, they heard the twisted whirling of the Clown Car cut through the quiet night. Bowser watched as Koopa carefully piloted the strange vehicle out of the garage before turning to Mario one last time. "Guess I'm out of here."

"We're gonna do this again sometime," said Mario.

"Have fun with that," said Bowser, getting ready to turn away and greet Koopa.

"Feel free to join in, okay?" Mario didn't wait for a response, instead twirling to face the garage and speeding down the hill, arms outstretched. "Wahoo!"

A couple minutes later, Mario arrived to find Luigi, Toad, and Peach crammed into the back of the Toad Mobile. "Hello!" His tone was as chipper as ever.

"Everything go well with King Koopa?" asked Luigi, nervously glancing up at the retreating Clown Car.

"Did you have to rough him up?" asked Toad.

Mario shrugged. "He was just being a tough guy."

"Sure hope he doesn't come back," mumbled Peach.

"Heh, yeah." Mario hopped into the driver's seat. "I'm sure he'll try again. But hey, maybe it'll be fun!"

"You've got a weird idea of fun," said Toad.

Hours later, a blue-robed magikoopa rushed anxiously towards the landing bay at Bowser's Castle. "Your sportingness, you've finally returned!"

"That's right!" Bowser hopped out of the clown car with a resounding thud. "Mopped the floor with those losers!" Koopa opened his beak to correct him but shut it as soon as he saw his king's fierce glare.

"Well that is certainly great," said Kamek. "But you said this was a scouting mission, did you not? Did you learn anything useful?"

"Nothing," Koopa said with a shrug. "I don't think we need to worry about these races."

Bowser froze. Koopa was right, but something about the idea of missing the next grand prix, the idea of Mario out there throwing shells without him, felt wrong.

"What are you talking about?" Bowser snapped.

Koopa whirled around and looked up at his boss, shaking slightly. "Well, I-."

"If you'd paid any attention, you would know this mission was absolutely critical!"

Kamek tilted his head. "Er, how so, King Bowser?"

Bowser wasn't quite sure he knew himself. At the very least he didn't feel like thinking about the answer. "Um, well. You'll see soon enough! Now out of my way, I've got evil plans to work out!" He stomped out of the room, muttering to himself, "Gaw haw haw! Let's see what other fun Mario has planned!"