The office was dark with the only illuminating light coming from the large, empty room adjacent to the office's window. A young woman stood by the glass, staring out the window, remembering past events that took place in that pit. The pit consisted of a small arena, with reinforced glass encircling it, behind of which stands of seats lay where spectators could watch whatever 'show' was enfolding within the arena. She hated that room.
Gently, she brushed a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses upon her nose as blue eyes fell upon scorch marks on the metal wall of the arena. That day was truly an awful day...
The sound of the door opening prompted her to turn around. An older man in a white coat stepped in, taller than herself with brown hair peppered with grey showing his age. Glasses and blue eyes like herself.
"What are you doing in here?" he asked in a deep voice, almost gravely as he walked to his desk.
"I need to speak with you."
"About what?"
"About these lies you are telling our investors" she frowned.
He sunk into his seat and gave her an unamused stare.
"And what 'lies' am I telling exactly?"
"That Bowser is dangerous. That he would hunt us down! That he would kill us! He wouldn't do that. He wants to be left alone."
"You are very naive, I see you didn't grow out of that trait. I expected better from you."
"Please, I am begging you to leave him be. Don't go down this road again."
"Bowser is not my target," he said gruffly as he leaned back in his chair.
"He- wait what?," she blinked in confusion.
"You heard me. Bowser isn't my target."
"Then...who is?"
"His offspring."
She froze hearing that. No. He couldn't stoop so low.
"His child? But he's just a kid."
"Don't humanise it by calling it a kid. That young koopa is a threat. A larger threat than his father once he reaches adulthood. He's intelligent...and if you combine that with Bowser's brawn we have a serious issue on our hands. We must act to save the kingdoms."
"The kingdoms don't need saving!," she let out an exasperated sigh, "I'm sorry...but I can't let you do this. This has to end. Your obsession with the koopas isn't healthy! Now you want to harm another child? Turn him into a monster? I won't let you...this ends now."
The man's eyes twitched as anger bubbled up from within him. How dare she speak to him in such a tone. For years he could not trust her. He had a feeling she had something to do with Bowser's escape. She was too attached to that damned turtle. He would not allow her to sabotage him again. As she turned to the window, he slowly opened his drawer, removing a laser pistol from it.
"I'm sorry my project upset you and I'm sorry I allowed you to get so attached to Bowser...but I cannot let you betray me again."
Her eyes widened as she turned. Did he know? As her mouth moved to speak, she saw a flash of light then pain in her chest as she fell back against the window and slid down to the floor. Everything began to go dark...
He walked over, towering over her dying body, this time aiming for her head...
Bowser, the koopa king, was unlike any other of his species. A large, heavy built, turtle-like creature with a large, spiked shell that rested on his back. Thick, yellow scales that covered his body merged to green on his head and fiery red hair sat between his horns.
He sat at the top of the table, his stout, spiked tail flicking through the hole at the back of his chair. The daily morning briefings could become quite tedious and he had no patience for it today.
"Sire?," one of his advisors snapped him out of his thoughts.
Bowser blinked and straightened himself.
"Do we have permission to go ahead with the works sire?"
"Uhhh," Bowser's crimson eyes trailed to his top advisor, Kamek, who sat by his side.
The mage sighed, of course the king wasn't listening, "Lord Bowser, work is needed on the bridges leading over the valley to the castle. We need access to the treasury to purchase materials."
"Oh, well yes of course. Permission granted," he cleared his throat and nodded, "anything else?"
"No sire."
"Good," Bowser got to his feet, relieved the meeting was over, "get to work then."
"Daaad!"
The doors flung open as the little prince walked in. He was the image of his father apart from blue eyes and a slight blue tinge to his scales and shell. Bowser smiled and bent down as his son joined him.
"What is it Junior?"
"Look! My first tooth has come through!," he lifted his lip to show his father the large canine. The first of his adult teeth.
"Hey not bad son. It's almost as big as mine."
"What!? No way! It's definately bigger!"
"Oh? You wanna bet?"
Kamek rolled his eyes. Not this again. It always turned into a competition between them. Now if he could just reach the door...he began to make his way to the exit.
"Kamek!," Bowser's voice boomed, making the magikoopa jump.
"Y-Yes sire?!"
"Tell us who has the biggest canines!"
"...I'll go get the measuring tape," Kamek sighed and slumped his shoulders as he walked out.
"Oh...," the little koopa groaned as he rubbed his cheeks. His adult teeth were beginning to come through and it was causing him discomfort. A dull aching pain he couldn't get rid of no matter what he gnawed on, "...stop hurting teeth...please?"
"Bowser!?"
He brightened up to the sound of that familiar voice outside his room. Immediately, his mind was pulled away from the pain in his mouth as he hurried to the metal door. His little tail wagged softly as the door opened. A petite blonde haired and blue eyed girl slipped in and carefully closed the door behind her.
"Sammi!," Bowser exclaimed happily, he got to see his only friend again. A little ray of light in this metal tincan he called home.
"Hi Bowser. I managed to slip away from dad for a little bit. Oh and I brought you a cupcake. Here," she smiled sweetly as she pulled out the tissue-wrapped treat.
Bowser licked his maw at the sight of it and happily took it as Sammi handed it over, "thank you Sammi...did you bring the book too?"
Sammi giggled as he stared at her with desperate anticipation. She pulled her bag off her back and took out a large, hard-back book of intricate design. The cover was purple with gold accents and 'Once Upon a Time' was written in an elegant gold font. Bowser loved when Sammi read this story to him. A rare creature comfort for him.
Sammi walked over to the wall and sat herself down so she could have some back support. Bowser followed and copied her. He licked his lips and grinned to Sammi, "I'm ready."
She smiled and opened the book as Bowser began eating his treat.
"Once upon a time there lived a prince and princess who resided in different castles within the Cloud Kingdom. One day they were to wed and become king and queen of the realm. A day they couldn't wait for as they were madly in love. But before they could, a big, jealous monster kidnapped the princess and brought her to his lair where he planned to keep her forever as his bride. The young prince, wanting revenge and his princess back, set off to rescue her and slay the monster. He had to swim through the deepest river, wade through the thickest swamps and finally, scale the tallest mountain in all the lands. When he reached the top, the beast was waiting for him, princess in hand. The heroic prince drew his sword and attacked! The battle was fierce but with quick reflexes, the prince plunged the sword into the monster's chest, killing him. He was reunited with his princess. The realm rejoiced his victory and soon after, the two married, finally becoming king and queen of the realm...the end."
"The monster is so scary looking," Bowser pointed to the picture of the black creature with glowing white eyes, "...hey Sammi?"
"Yeah?"
"I got a question."
"Let's hear it."
"Do you think I can become a king?," he looked up to her.
Sammi tapped her lip with her finger as she pondered over his question.
"Hmm...I don't see why not. You'll need a princess though cause you can't be a king without a queen."
"A princess? Where would I get one of those?," he tilted his head in curiosity.
"In a castle silly," Sammi giggled.
Bowser grinned to her giggle, his tail waving behind him.
"Sammi!"
"Uh-oh. It's my dad," she quickly picked herself up, "um, I don't know when we will get to hang out again, so why don't you hold onto the book?"
Bowser blinked as she placed the large book into his hands, "wait really? But I can't read! I need you to read it to me!"
"Bowser...I've read the story to you a thousand times by now. You know it off by heart. Just flick through the pictures and enjoy," she gave him a hug. Bowser squeaked in surprise, the book squished between them.
"I'll see you soon. Bye!," she let go and waved before slipping out the door and closing it behind her.
"Bye Sammi," Bowser looked down at the book. He grinned and headed to his bed: a basket with some sheets scattered on top. He opened the book and admired the colourful pictures inside.
"Sammi...," her father walked up to her.
She flinched at the look of disappointment in his eyes, enlarged by his glasses.
"Y-Yeah dad?"
"How many times have I told you not to go into Bowser's cell? He is not some pet you can play with."
"I don't see him as a pet dad...he's a friend."
"No. He is not your friend. He is a beast, a dangerous one at that. Give me the key you stole," he held out his hand.
Sammi pouted, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She pulled the silver key out of her pocket and dropped it into her father's open hand.
He placed it into his lab coat's pocket, "you are to never go near him again. Do you understand?"
"But dad-."
"Do. You. Understand?"
"...Yes dad."
"Good. Now run along. We will be going home soon," he watched as his daughter ran off trying to hold back her tears. He looked at the metal door and frowned. He would have to keep an eye on Sammi.
That night, Bowser pulled his bed towards the barred window where the moonlight shone in, providing the only light in his room. He got comfy on the sheets and picked up the book to look at it before he went to sleep.
As he went to open the cover, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Odd to hear at such a late hour. Bowser quickly shoved the book under the sheets and got on top, laying down and curling up in his basket to pretend he was asleep.
The sound of keys jingled outside his door, then the creak of said door opening, followed by a long, silenced pause.
"I know you're awake Bowser. Get up."
The koopa sighed and opened his eyes to look at his master in the white coat, "yes Dr. Munroe."
He pulled himself out of his basket and walked to Munroe as if his shell weighed a tonne. The man terrified him.
"What has Samantha been doing in here with you?"
"N-Nothing sir..."
"Don't lie to me."
"Just r-reading stories and talking is all," Bowser flinched as Munroe loomed over him.
Munroe looked to his bed, spotting the book's outline under the sheets. He walked over and pulled it out. Samantha's story book. She was reading this to him?
"It's...my favourite story," Bowser said shyly, "Sammi said that one day I can be a king...like in the story."
The sides of Munroe's lips curled into a devilish grin. The koopa's words amused him.
"You? A king?"
Bowser looked up in surprise from the tone of his voice. A cruel sound with a sharp hiss entertwined in it.
"You will never be a king. You're the monster in these stories, not the hero," he opened the book and flicked through the pages until he found the picture of the prince slaying the beast. He turned it to show Bowser and pointed at it, "this is you. You are the monster who kidnaps the princess, the vile creature to be slain by the hero. You will never be a king."
Bowser looked away and clenched his fists. He wasn't the monster, he refused to believe that.
"Just look at you. You're covered in scales, claws on your hands and feet, horns on your head, spikes on your shell and fangs growing in your mouth. How many kings in the story books have you seen that look like you? Hmm? Answer me!"
"N-None..."
"And how many monsters have you seen that look like you?," Munroe smirked as he koopa turned away.
He threw the book onto the floor. He would have to start training Bowser more intensely now. Samantha had made him soft, filled his head with fairytales.
"Samantha will no longer be visiting you. You need to focus on your training and forget about these rediculous dreams," Munroe headed for the door.
Bowser watched as the doctor walked out and slammed the door behind him, making the room shake. He quickly made his way to the book and inspected it to make sure it wasn't damaged. Letting out a little sniffle, he got back into his bed with it.
"I'm not a monster...," he whined as he pulled his head into his shell.