Heya! Just one note before you jump in... this chapter gets a little... heavy on the subject of morality. You'll see what I mean. Just... despite that this is in Junior's POV, take everything thought or said with a grain of neutral salt. I'm sure the chapter name is already a giveaway that there's gonna be bias.
May 9, 1601
Morning
"Bowser!" Mario hollered, charging towards Junior. Luigi scurried after him. The elder had a dark glare on his face, while the younger's brow was creased in a frown. The little prince stood in front of the door, his arms crossed. He shot a pout towards Mario; lip stuck out, eyes flat and eyebrows lowered. Mario violently swiped a hand to the side. "Junior, make this easy and get out of the way!"
Junior arched an eyebrow. "No. Mama Peach is mine. Not yours."
"She belongs to no one!" Mario yelled, skidding to a halt only three feet from Junior. "Not to me, not to you, and certainly not to Bowser!" He spat out the Koopa King's name. His eyes burned, his exhales prominent. "Move out of the way."
Junior turned his snout up in the air. "She's mine now. You stupid plumbers can go crawl back into whatever smelly pipe you came out of."
"This is your last warning, Junior!" Mario took a step forward, holding up shaking fists. Three fingers came up. "One…" he put one down. "Two…" another went down…
Junior rolled his eyes. He jerked his head away, closing his eyes. "Hmph! You're not Papa. I don't have to listen to you."
Mario sprung forward with a yell. Junior yelped, bringing his arms up to block his head. Mario's hands slammed into his side, shoving him away. Junior stumbled from the force, hitting the ground with an "oof!" He wasted no time in scrambling back to his feet. He raced towards Mario with an attempted roar, leaping at him and baring his claws.
They collided. Mario cried out, staggering. Junior's claws hooked into his clothes. He clamped his jaws on Mario's shoulder. The plumber yelped and punched Junior's eye. The Koopa prince let go with a cry, landing on his shell. He covered his throbbing left eye, tears welling up. Mario rushed at him, kicking his carapace and sending him flying.
Stars flared through Junior's eyes as his head bashed the wall. He crumpled to the ground. His head throbbed. He whimpered, cracking open his uninjured eye. Mario blurred into focus, glaring down at him while Luigi stood a little behind him, his posture meek.
"Stay down," Mario ordered. He rushed for the door, jiggling the handle. His eyes widened. "Peach!" He pounded on the door. "Bowser! Open this door, now!"
Papa? Papa's not here… Junior started to push himself up, but dizziness seized his head, and he sunk back onto his side. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"Bowser!" A thump blared out, along with the creaking of wood. "Open the door, or I'm breaking it down!"
"Mario!" Peach yelped. "Bowser's not here! I'm getting dressed!"
"O-oh!" Footsteps slammed unevenly on the ground. "S-sorry… but Bowser Jr.'s here, so I thought… the Toads told me Bowser was invading! Bowser Jr. attacked us!"
"Pushed me…" Junior moaned. Mario had pushed him first. He'd attacked. Junior had been defending himself. Mario was in the wrong. He always was in the wrong.
"Junior's here in peace. I'll explain after I get dressed! Please treat him as a guest!" Peach's voice had a warning tone. Junior cracked a smile, opening his eyes. Mario's face was highlighted by a blush, and his hands were jammed in his pockets. Luigi rubbed his arm, his gaze trained on the floor.
I knew Mama Peach would protect me. He pushed himself up, wincing as his head throbbed. He put his hand on the wall, the other covering his swollen eye. He bit back a whimper, but a small whine still escaped his throat.
"A-are you okay?" Luigi asked, taking a few hesitant steps towards Junior. His hand reached out toward the prince, but Junior shot him a glare. Luigi backed off.
"You Marios are big meanies," Junior mumbled. "I didn't do anything wrong." Wanting to see my Mama isn't wrong. Wanting to spend a day with her isn't wrong. It shouldn't of be wrong by even their standards.
"You could've told me that you weren't kidnapping her," Mario grumbled, putting a hand on his shoulder wound. He shot a scowl towards Junior. "You didn't have to attack me."
"You pushed me!" Junior argued. "I wasn't doing anything wrong!"
"How was I supposed to know that? You didn't try to explain why you were here or what you were doing outside Peach's room. You just gave me attitude!"
"You were being mean! You wanted me to leave!"
"You could've told me why! You didn't have to get snarky!"
"Like you would've listened! You just wanted to beat me up and take Mama Peach for yourself! She's mine for today!"
"She's not yours! Not for today, not for any day! Both you and your father need to get that through your thick skulls!" Mario tapped his temple. "Peach belongs to no-one but herself!"
"So?" Junior folded his arms. "She's gonna be my mama and Papa's queen, and there's nothing you can do to stop that, dummy." He stuck his tongue out. "So there."
Mario's face reddened. Luigi was by his side in an instant, putting a hand on his shoulder. "E-easy Mario…" Luigi murmured, he turned a tight face towards Junior. "Wh-what are you even doing here, anyway?"
"It's Mama's Day, duh!" Junior rolled his eyes. "I'm spending the day with my mama! Isn't it obvious?"
"Peach… isn't your mother," Mario growled, his fists shaking. "She never will be."
Junior's heart tugged. A glare formed on his face. Mama Peach will too be my mama! She has to! "She will too be my mama. I want her to be, and Papa says she will be."
"Bowser is wrong for putting that in your head! He's just brainwashing you!" Mario tore himself free of Luigi's passive restraint. He pointed a finger towards Junior, his teeth gritted in an ugly scowl. "Peach isn't your mother, she never will be, and your father is just delusional!"
Junior's jaw fell. "He is not! Papa loves her! He really does!" His father wouldn't like Junior saying that, but he didn't care. Mario needed to know just how important Peach was to Bowser. To his family. "Papa loves Mama Peach. I love Mama Peach. She's gonna be our mama. She's gonna marry Papa someday and we're gonna be a happy family."
"Yeah, right! Peach will NEVER say yes! Maybe in your deluded fantasies she would, but there is no way she would agree to marry a monster like—"
"PAPA IS NOT A MONSTER!" Junior howled, tears stinging his eyes (especially his bruised one). "You think that because you're a shortsighted meanie-tail!" His claws curled into his palms, and he narrowed his uninjured eye to a slit. "You don't know anything about us. You think we're the bad guys. We're not. You're the meanie. You steal my mama away."
"I'm the bad guy?" Mario barked a laugh.
"Mario…" Luigi murmured, stepping closer, but Mario held up a hand. The younger Mario brother flinched.
"You Koopas are the evil ones! You're the ones who take Peach away! You take her away from her home to hold her captive in that… that place! I don't care that you want to be here for Mother's Day, you're going home even if I have to drag you there myself!" Mario took a step closer, reaching a hand out.
Junior hopped back. His heart thudded in his chest. Mario couldn't make him leave. He couldn't. Junior deserved a day with his mama. It was a day celebrating her, and he wanted to show her how much he appreciated her. He bared his fangs and held up his claws. No stupid plumber's gonna keep me away from my mama!
The door to Peach's room flew open. "Enough!" The three froze, all eyes turning to the princess. She was clothed in her normal pink dress, her blonde hair damp. An unusually cold glare was fixed on her face, her attention directed to Mario and Junior.
"Mama Peach!" Junior chirped. He skirted around Mario and rushed towards her, ducking behind her and grabbing onto her skirt. "Mario's being mean!"
"So were you, by the sound of things." Peach didn't even glance at him, keeping her gaze locked on Mario. "I asked you to treat Junior as a guest, Mario. Not kick him out."
Mario's jaw dropped. "You… you mean… you're okay with this?" His voice cracked.
Peach dropped her gaze to the floor.
"I told you! I'm spending a day with Mama Peach, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Junior poked his tongue at Mario.
"Mario… It's either this or I get kidnaped. Junior has agreed to leave peacefully after dinner. I… I figured it wouldn't do too much harm…"
"Peach, I know you're not comfortable with this. Just say the word and I'll drive him off." Mario turned a glower to meet Junior's eyes.
"No!" Junior shoved his face into Peach's dress, squeezing his eye shut. His stomach flipped. "Mama, don't let him!"
"Mario… he's staying. Junior's really not hurting anyone, and he's promised to behave. It's just for one day. Just for a day…" Peach let out a sigh.
Mario stepped up towards the two. Junior snapped his head up, baring his fangs and growling at him. He hugged Peach tighter. Back off! Mama Peach is mine! He fell quiet when a hand rested on his head, his snarl fading.
"Junior, please…" Peach murmured. "Behave. You really shouldn't have been instigating."
"Yes, Mama Peach." Whatever that means.
Mario leaned closer. Junior tensed. His eyebrows lowered. Mario's getting too close to Mama Peach… I don't like it! He kept silent, though, since Peach didn't like his growling. He made sure to train a glare on the plumber. Let him know he didn't belong.
"Peach… are you completely sure this is okay?" Mario whispered, his face only inches from Peach's. "I know you're uncomfortable with him here, and we both know you shouldn't encourage this. I can take him home and trounce Bowser, if necessary."
Junior's tail lashed. Does he seriously think I can't hear him? What's Mama Peach gonna say?
"I know… but I don't want to cause trouble. He's a good kid, Mario. You might not see it, but he's doing this to try and fill a void in his heart. I don't want to be his mother… but it would be cruel to send him away. He's been looking forward to this, his excitement and joy have been over the top."
Junior's brow furrowed. What does Mama Peach mean by that? Her answer was confusing. I think Mama Peach is happy to see me. I think she wants me here. She wouldn't be letting him stay if she didn't. She only had said that she didn't want to be his mama because she was being… what was the word… the fancy one that his papa had used… Oppressed! Yeah, she was being oppressed by Mario. Meanie!
"Are you sure?" Mario put a hand on her shoulder, and Junior snarled.
"Get your hands off my mama!" He shoved Mario, sending him stumbling back. "And Mama Peach is too sure she wants me here!" He flashed her a grin. She stared down at him with wide eyes, her face a shade paler than normal. Mario was scaring her! He must've been implicitly threatening her. "You're not taking me home or beating up my papa!"
Mario's eyes widened. "Y-you heard that?"
"Duh! Do you think I'm deaf?"
Mario's gaze jerked up to meet Peach's. They held it for a few moments, and Junior's eyes switched back and forth between them. His claws flexed, his toes curling.
His stomach growled.
Junior's eye jerked down to his tummy. He tugged Peach's dress. "Mama Peach, I'm hungry! I'm starving!" He had only eaten one of the cookies. "Can we have breakfast?"
"Of course, Junior." Peach unhooked his claws from her dress. "Do pancakes sound good for everyone?"
"Oh yeah!" Mario grinned, jumping and spinning once.
Peach giggled. "Extra chocolate chips and butter for you?" She winked at him. Junior's stomach clenched, and something flared in his core.
Mario laughed, giving her a thumbs-up. "You bet!"
"I want chocolate, too! Lots of chocolate!" Junior spread his arms as wide as they could go. "I want a mountain!"
Peach put a finger to her chin. After a few moments, her face brightened. "That can be arranged. Would you like some juice? We have apple, orange, cranberry, and peach."
"Peach? Ew!" Junior stuck his tongue out. "Why'd they make juice out of you, Mama Peach? Where'd they even get it from?"
Mario snorted, and Peach chuckled. Luigi even had a smile on his face.
"It's peach the fruit, not the princess," Mario corrected.
Junior blinked. "Oh. I forgot that the fruit exists. I want orange juice, and I want my breakfast now."
"The Toads have to make it first," Peach's voice was punctuated with a giggle, but she paused for a few moments, taking a breath. "I'll need to make sure they know about the three of you. How many pancakes do you all want?"
"Three!" Mario called, while Luigi lifted two fingers.
"Me too! Three too!" Junior held up three fingers on each hand, shoving them as close to Peach's face as he could reach.
"Three?" Luigi stared at Junior, his eyes wide. "A-are you sure you can eat that much? Or are you just trying to compete with Mario?"
Junior rolled his eyes. "No, I'm hungry." Typical Marios. They think they're the best at everything!
"Luigi, he'll be fine," Peach assured him. "Dragon-Koopas eat a lot. Trust me. You should see them all at dinner." Luigi's eyes bulged. "Bowser…" Peach glanced at Junior, "insists I join them."
Junior nodded, reaching out to take Peach's hand. "Mama Peach is part of the family, too! She always eats with us." Junior loved it when she did. She always listened to him. Well, sometimes she neglected him for one of the Koopalings, but he most often kept her attention. Today was going to be different. He'd have her all to himself. All he had to do was keep her away from Mario, and she was his. Luigi was too much of a coward to take her.
Junior caught Mario's gaze out of the corner of his eye. The plumber was fixing a killer glare on him, his fists crumbled into balls. Their eyes met, and Mario jerked his head away, turning his attention to Luigi.
"Why don't you wait at the table?"
It took Junior a few moments to realise that Peach was speaking to him, but he turned a questioning gaze up towards her; frowning, head tilted, and brow crinkled slightly. "Why?"
"Luigi can escort you, but Mario and I have to let the Toads know that there's no attack. You behave yourself, and don't cause Luigi any trouble." Peach smiled, the expression kindling a warmth in Junior's chest. "I won't be happy if I hear you were bad."
"I'll be good, Mama Peach." Junior puffed out his chest. "Promise!"
"Good." Peach put a hand on his cheek. "I'll be down soon."
Junior closed his eyes, nuzzling into her touch. "Okay…" he murmured. He couldn't feel her skin through her glove, but the warmth of it pulsed through. Her smell was there, too, sweet and a bliss to his nose. Her touch left far too soon, and Junior wished she would coddle to him again. Later.
Junior whirled on Luigi, his face lighting up. "Race you!" He dashed off.
"Wh-wha? J-Junior!" Luigi cried.
Junior laughed. He stuck his tongue back at the green plumber. "Catch me if you can, Greenie!"
"B-but the dining room's the other way!"
"Detour!"
"Mama Mia…"
Next chapter, the Mother's Day stuff actually starts happening! I'll admit this chapter just became too long... so I split it.
Questions? Comments? Critiques? Let me know in a review or PM! I aim to improve with every word!