(A/N: In the last chapter, we found out that Peach's heart had been broken not once, not twice, but 3 times, courtesy of Bowser! But has Mario been mending her heart? Will his own broken heart ever be mended? Let's get this show on the road and find out!)
On Peach's transport ship, Tiara looked at Peach, who had taken off her make-up and earrings, changed into her nightgown, and was just about ready to call it a night.
"Peach?" Tiara asked.
"Yes, Tiara?" Peach asked.
"Wh-why are we going to Bowser's Kingdom? I didn't like it there, and if I remember correctly, neither did you." Tiara recalled.
"I know, Tiara. But did you know that I never really went to see his castle by choice?" Peach asked.
"No... I didn't know that." said Tiara.
"Well, I've never really gone to see it myself, without Bowser taking me to it, that is." Peach replied.
"Oh... So you're going to see it because you've never really made the decision to go there without him taking you?" Tiara asked.
"And with luck, Bowser might not be there." Peach said.
"But... what if he is?" Tiara asked.
"Mario will be there, too. He'll protect me." Peach assured Tiara. Then, to herself, she added, "And after hearing about all the horrible things Bowser has done to me, Mario will have an easy time mowing him down."
"Okay, I believe you." said Tiara, feeling pacified. But then she asked, "Is it okay if I sleep close to you tonight?"
"Sure." Peach replied, and she held Tiara close like a stuffed animal as she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, Mario was sitting slumped on his chair in the Odyssey. He felt sick. He really didn't want to see Bowser's Kingdom again.
"You're not looking forward to seeing Bowser's Kingdom again, are you?" Cappy asked, noticing Mario's discomfort.
"I guess it's pretty obvious to tell, huh?" Mario asked.
"I noticed the way you were reacting to Peach saying she wanted to go there next. I thought you were going to go into cardiac arrest." Cappy told him.
"I honestly don't know why she'd want to go there, Cappy. She's been there more times than Link can shake a Deku Stick at, and one visit there isn't going to be enough to get rid of all the brutti ricordi, the bad memories, she's got of that horrible place!" Mario told him.
"That may be so. But here's the thing: if you're with her, you can protect her. You can make her feel safe. She'll be there with someone she cares about; someone who cares about her. And that's you!" Cappy reminded him.
Mario swallowed and said, "Okay, you're right about that. I... I just hope Bowser isn't there. But if he is... I'm going to need your help making him suffer. I want him to pay, Cappy."
"Can do! After hearing what he did to my sister back when we were in the Lake Kingdom, I wanted to make him suffer, too!" Cappy said, feeling mad as he imagined Bowser back-handing his poor baby sister into a wall! He couldn't imagine how badly hurt Tiara had been when he did that to her!
"Parlamene. Tell me about it. Bowser broke Peach's heart 3 times during this adventure, and those were the times he tried to kill me! Abusing Peach mentally, verbally, and physically were not enough for him! He needs to pay for what he did!" Mario said, angry for not being able to save Peach sooner than he had.
"But you did save her from becoming Bowser's wife, and that's a good thing!" Cappy said.
"I also saved her from an early grave." Mario said.
"An early grave? What do you mean by that, Mario?" Cappy asked.
"Well, as you know, Peach is una principessa, a princess. And right now, she's the only ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the sole heir to the Mushroom throne." Mario began.
"Yeah, Peach did tell me and Tiara that her parents went to the Overthere when she was just a baby." Cappy remembered.
"Yes. Well, as soon as she gets married, she gets to be la regina, the queen, and the man she marries gets to be il re, the king of her kingdom." Mario said.
"But Bowser has his own kingdom. What does he need Peach's kingdom for?" Cappy asked.
"Oh, well, simple. He wants it just so he can lay it to waste and turn the Mushroom people to stones, which is what he loves to do. And once, he even threatened to turn the Mushroom people to stones... unless Peach agreed to marry him!" Mario replied.
"What?! But... but Peach would never let him do that! Not if she's a kind, caring ruler, beloved by her subjects!" Cappy said.
"Esattamente! Exactly! However, Bowser knows how to fix that and get what he wants, and it's-a not pretty." Mario said.
"He isn't going to beat her into submission, is he?" Cappy guessed.
"No. She and I only wish that was it, but it's not. His solution is the result of domestic abuse gone too far." Mario replied.
"You don't mean...?" Cappy asked, not wanting to believe that Bowser would go that far.
"La ucciderà! He'll kill her!" Mario told him.
"Holy CRAP! That is cruel!" Cappy exclaimed.
"And that's not even the worst part!" Mario said.
"It's not?! What's worse than killing Peach?!" Cappy asked, outraged.
"Ti dirò. I'll tell you. He'll feed her subjects some outrageous lie about what killed her, and because she hadn't annulled the marriage, she and Bowser were still married when she died, so he's still sitting on the Mushroom throne. Because of this, he'll turn the Mushroom people into stones before turning the Mushroom Kingdom into a burning wasteland that can never be restored to its former glory." Mario finished.
"You're right, Mario. We've got to make him suffer good for this!" said Cappy.
"Maybe we can dream up a way to do that while we're on our way to his kingdom." Mario said.
"If that's the case, then I'm going to sleep right now so I can start dreaming. Good night, Mario! Zzz..." Cappy said as he fell asleep.
"Buona notte. Good night, Cappy." said Mario as he walked over to the bed, took off his shoes, laid down, and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him.
The following morning, when Mario and Cappy awoke, they found themselves in Bowser's Kingdom.
"Mama-mia... I said I never wanted to come here again. But Peach wanted to, and I hadn't the heart to tell her not to, because my heart still feels broken." Mario said.
"I thought she showed you that she loves you by kissing you on the lips at the Snow Kingdom. And if I recall, she did it twice." Cappy said.
"Yeah, but one of those kisses was just to warm me up. And, for your information, I refrained from returning her kiss both times." Mario said.
"You didn't kiss her back? Why not?" Cappy asked.
"She didn't say that she loves me. If I returned her kiss without her saying that she loved me, I was afraid that she might not like that, and my heart would've broken further." Mario said.
"So, your heart is still in a funk because she hasn't said whether or not she still loves you?" Cappy asked.
"Giusto. That's right. Now it's-a really hot here, so I'd better not wear the armor, or else I'll be roasting like a baked potato. I'm going to have to change into something else." Mario said.
"So what are you gonna wear if we run into that chowderhead? Maybe you could wear the Samurai Helmet and Samurai Armor." Cappy suggested.
"No. Not only is it too heavy, it's still too hot for me to wear. I don't want to be sweating like a Koopa in front of Peach. She wouldn't want to kiss with a guy who is soaked in sweat." Mario said as he carefully looked over his outfits. Then he found the right clothes!
(A/N: The term 'sweating like a Koopa' comes from "Karate Koopa", an episode of "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!".)
"I'll wear these!" Mario said, holding up the Happi Headband and Happi Outfit.
"You want to wear the Happi attire?" Cappy asked.
"Well, I won't be sweating like a Koopa in this outfit, and I can move around easily in it." Mario explained as he started to change.
"You're right. You really couldn't do much when you were dressed like a knight." Cappy realized as he turned away, giving Mario the privacy he needed.
"Okie-dokie. How do I look?" Mario asked.
Cappy turned and saw Mario dressed in the Happi attire.
"You look good, and pretty comfortable, too." Cappy replied, being honest.
"That's what I thought. Now let's-a go!" Mario said, and this time, Cappy floated alongside him.
The two disembarked the Odyssey and made their way through the gates and finding a spark pylon that took them into the front of the Third Courtyard.
"I still can't believe I'm back here..." Mario said.
"Neither can I. I just hope Bowser didn't come back yet." Cappy replied.
"If he did, we'll make him pay. If not, we'll leave a surprise for him." Mario said as they made their way through the kingdom, wondering if Peach was around. He hoped she wasn't in Bowser's Castle, with Bowser deciding to elope with her.
After an hour, Mario said, "I miei piedi si stanno stancando... My feet are getting tired... I think we'd better find a place to sit before we find the girls. Maybe this time, they'll find us."
"I remember seeing places to sit outside the Crazy Cap here." Cappy recalled.
"How close are we to it?" Mario asked.
"Not too far." Cappy said.
Sure enough, the Crazy Cap was up ahead.
"Oh, good. Now I can sit down and rest my feet." Mario said, but right before he could sit down, he heard Peach and Tiara calling out to him.
"Dolcezza! Sweetie!" Mario called out as he ran to where Peach stood. Looking behind her, Mario saw a place where he could sit.
"Peach, may I please sit before we start talking? My feet are molto stanco... They're very tired..." Mario said.
"Okay." Peach replied, so Mario sat down, which felt wonderful. Then he took in Peach's outfit. She was wearing a Fire Flower-patterned white kimono and blue sandals. She also wore her hair in a ponytail with a Boo mask on the left side of her head, and she had a blue uchiwa fan with a Blooper on it on her back.
"Wow..." Mario mouthed.
"What's up? I saw your mouth move, but I didn't quite hear what you said." Peach asked Mario as she sat down next to him.
"I said 'wow...' and that's because you're still bellissima." Mario said.
"Aww, thank you." Peach replied, giving Mario a kiss on the nose, which made him start blushing all over again.
"So, what's your opinion of this place, principessa?" Mario asked Peach when he managed to stop blushing.
"Bowser's castle... I think this is the first time I've come here on my own two feet..." Peach replied.
"What about the time you came here to save me, Luigi, and Toad?" Mario asked.
"That doesn't really count. When I came here for that, it's because I 'had to'. I never came here 'just because'." Peach said.
"You're right. It's-a the same thing for me, too, Peach." Mario replied.
"Whatever its history, this castle is simply splendid!" Tiara put in.
"Try saying that when you've been in it as many times as Peach and I have. We've been here more times than we can count!" Mario said.
"How do you know that?" Tiara asked.
"Simple. Luigi and I have been here so many times that we know how to get from Bowser's room to the bathroom." Mario explained.
"You're saying that you and your brother know his castle like the backs of your hands?" Cappy asked.
"Sì. We do." Mario replied.
"And a Power Moon fell down from the sky! You should probably take it." said Peach, handing Mario the Power Moon she and Tiara had found.
"Grazie, Peach. Thank you!" Mario smiled.
"You're welcome." Peach smiled.
"So... did anything happen before I showed up and found you and Bowser?" Mario asked.
"I'll take the Power Moon to the Odyssey for you, Mario. Come on, Tiara. Join me!" Cappy said as he began flying away with the Power Moon.
"Coming, big brother!" Tiara called as she flew after her brother, keeping very close to him, just in case.
"Yes, Mario. Bowser was still being a jerk. Here's what happened after he told me that you were dead..." Peach said.
(Flashback...)
Peach was in the bride's chamber, sitting on the floor with her back against the door, crying hard. She was trying to convince herself that Bowser was lying, but her heart was too broken to believe that he was wrong.
"M-M-Mario... I... I w-want you... back... s-so bad... P-please, Star Spirits... Please l-let Bowser be wr-wrong..." Peach wept.
"He can't be right, Peach! I don't believe that he's telling the truth! I think he said it just to hurt your feelings even more than he already has!" Tiara said, currently in her Bonneter form.
"I... I want to b-believe you, T-Tiara... B-but I... I c-can't! S-something tells me that he's... n-not lying!" Peach sobbed.
"Because I'm telling the truth!" Bowser said, opening the door without warning!
"AHH!" Peach cried as she was pushed by the door when Bowser opened it.
"Peach!" cried Tiara, flying over to where Peach was and turning into her tiara form, landing neatly on Peach's head.
"Are you okay?" Tiara whispered to Peach.
"N-no... Th-that was... un-unexpected..." Peach moaned softly.
"Peach! What are you doing on the floor?!" Bowser asked, grabbing her right arm and pulling her up off of the floor. He was holding her up by that arm, and her feet barely touched the ground. She was right up close to his face, and the sight of his face that close to hers was... frightening, to say the least!
"Bowser, please put me down... You're hurting my arm..." Peach quietly begged. She was afraid that if he continued to hold her like this any longer, her arm might get pulled out of its socket. She didn't want that. She knew it would hurt like heck if that happened.
"Come with me, Peach. We've landed at my kingdom, and I want to show you around the place. I also want to show you around your new home." Bowser said.
"I don't want to see your kingdom, or your castle! I want to go back to my home in the Mushroom Kingdom!" said Peach.
"Trust me, Peach! Once you've seen this place, you'll be asking yourself why the Mushroom Kingdom doesn't look this good!" Bowser said as he set Peach on her feet, but he continued to keep a hold of her arm as he dragged her along.
"NO! Let me go!" Peach said, refusing to budge.
"Come on! You'll be glad that you're here!" Bowser said.
"I've never been glad about being here! I want to go home!" Peach said.
"You are home!" Bowser told her.
"This is the worst trip... I've ever been on..." Peach sang as Bowser showed her around. She hated this place more than anything now.
"And here we are... our castle! I can't wait for you to be living here with me!" Bowser said as they stood outside the castle.
"I don't want to live here! I want to live at Mushroom Castle! That's home to me, not here!" Peach said.
"Peach, once you see our room, you'll forget all about Mushroom Castle! It hardly measures up to my castle!" Bowser told her as they walked into the castle.
"I'll never forget it! Mushroom Castle has been in my family for generations! I want to live there!" Peach yelled as Bowser led her up the stairs and down the hall.
"Forget it, Peach. Get ready to smile as you feast your pretty little eyes on this!" Bowser said as he opened the door to his bedroom. There was a HUGE bed in there, but it was not suitable for sleeping in now because Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, Ludwig, and Bowser Jr. were all jumping up and down on it like it was a trampoline.
Peach could remember jumping on her bed when she was small, but Toadsworth always told her not to. She stopped jumping on the bed when she got her own room. She didn't know how Bowser was going to react to the sight of his kids doing this.
(A/N: I know that the Koopalings aren't Bowser's kids anymore, so I'm sticking with the theory that Bowser adopted them.)
"What the-?! KIDS! YOU'D BETTER KNOCK THAT CRAP OFF RIGHT NOW!" Bowser bellowed.
When the Koopalings and Jr. heard Bowser's voice, they froze in mid-air! They turned towards the door and saw Bowser standing there, looking displeased! That scared them!
"YIKES!" the kids shouted, darting under his bed in fear!
"Okay, kids, tell you what: I'll forgive you... if you straighten out the sheets." Bowser told them.
So the 8 young Koopas slowly crawled out from under the bed and straightened out the sheets and bedspread. Peach could now see that the bed had green satin sheets and pillowcases, and a black velvet bedspread. It didn't look that great.
"Good job! Now, as you know, I'm getting married. I'd like you all to come and say 'hello' to your new mommy before we make our way to the wedding venue!" Bowser said, gesturing to Princess Peach, who stood beside him, wishing she was somewhere else.
"All right! Now she really is going to be Mama Peach!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed.
"NO!" Peach screamed, wishing that this was just a bad dream that she was going to wake up from. But it wasn't. This was real, and she could not wake up! She couldn't get away from this!
Tiara was trembling from her perch on Peach's head, wishing she could help Peach, but there was nothing she could do against 8 kids that seemingly belonged to Bowser. She hated being small and helpless, unable to help her friend.
"It's about time you decided to marry her, King Dad!" said Larry as they all hurried over to get a better look at Peach.
"Please, Star Spirits! Take me away from this awful place..." Peach prayed in her mind. She did not wish to be here.
"Now, Peach, they're going to be your kids as well as mine when we tie the knot! I know that you already know which one is Bowser Jr., but I think it has been a while since you've seen the Koopalings. I'll help you remember who's who to refresh your memory. Wendy is easy because she's the only girl..." Bowser started.
Peach didn't hear the rest because she was ready to start crying again. Bowser Jr. noticed, and he asked the Koopalings, "What's up with Mama Peach? She looks like she's going to cry..."
Ludwig got a look at her and said, "She is ready to cry, Jr., but those are tears of joy in her eyes. She's happy to be marrying King Dad, and she knows that marrying him gives her a ready-made family!"
"Oh, okay! I can't wait for her to be Mama Peach for real!" said Jr. excitedly.
"Yeah! We're getting the prettiest mommy in the universe!" Lemmy cheered.
"But I don't want to be their mommy... They don't really love me... I want kids of my own... but not with Bowser..." Peach thought sadly as she watched the Koopalings celebrate.
"Peach? Hey, Peach, listen up!" Bowser said.
"Huh?! What's going on?!" Peach asked, coming back to reality.
"I need to finish getting ready, and I can't do that and keep an eye on the kids at the same time! How about you entertain the Koopalings and Jr. while I finish getting ready for our wedding?" Bowser asked.
"I... I don't know how..." Peach said, feeling nervous and stupid. It was easy for her to entertain the Toads, but the Koopalings were not them.
"Go play a video game with them, or you can watch them play. Just make sure they're preoccupied, keep them from fighting, and if they need anything, you can take care of it. After all, in a few hours' time, you're going to be their mommy..." Bowser said.
"Hopefully, they'll kill me before then... Then you can't marry me, and I won't be their mommy... They won't want a step-mother..." Peach muttered as she left the room, searching for Bowser's offspring.
She found the Koopalings in the main room, playing a video game.
"Good. They seem happy with their video game... Maybe I can play it, too, if I ask nicely..." Peach thought with a small smile. But that smile and her desire to play disappeared when she saw what the game appeared to be. It looked like "Super Mario Bros.", only the player was a Koopa, and the enemies all looked like Mario. Even worse, the one who was playing knocked out a bunch of Marios at once and got a 1-up! (A/N: Ludwig played a game like this in the "Super Mario Adventures" comic.)
"No... Mario..." Peach whimpered to herself, the game reminding her of what she had lost. She started to cry again, but she managed to keep it quiet, so the Koopalings wouldn't hear her. She didn't want them to know that the game they were playing was hurting her broken heart even more.
But sometime later, they finished the game, and they noticed Peach, who seemingly ran out of tears to cry.
"Hey, look! Mama Peach is here!" Bowser Jr. said.
"Hey, Mom! Did you see it?! Did you see what we did in the game?!" the Koopalings asked her in excitement as they ran to her.
"N-no... I... I-I just g-got here..." Peach lied. She didn't want them to know that she had just been crying again.
Fortunately for her, the Koopalings didn't notice how red and puffy her eyes were, or that she seemed to be in severe emotional pain.
So Peach spent some time with the kids, listening to them talk about how great their dad was before Bowser came in and said, "Okay, Peach. I've finished preparing myself, and it's almost time to go. Follow me."
"Good..." Peach thought as she willingly followed Bowser out of the castle. She was sick of hearing those brats call her 'Mom'. If she had to hear Bowser Jr. call her 'Mama Peach' one more time, she was going to scream!
(End flashback...)
"And while we were up there on the roof of the one building, you showed up. I was crying about losing you again, and Bowser said, 'Give it a rest, Peach! Mario's dragon chow now!' He really didn't care about my feelings at all!" Peach said.
"And we know that I heard that, and how mad it made me, because you heard me yell, 'GUESS AGAIN, GAY BOWSER!'" Mario said, remembering that moment.
However, Cappy and Tiara heard that yell, and they got worried.
"Uh-oh..." said Tiara.
"Mario just yelled Bowser's name... He might have come back..." Cappy said.
"Hide me!" Tiara cried.
"Get in the Odyssey!" Cappy exclaimed.
So the Bonneters flew into the Odyssey.
"Tiara, I almost forgot to ask. Are you still hurt from what Bowser did to you during the Lochlady Dress fiasco?" Cappy asked.
"No, I'm okay. I've recovered from that." Tiara said.
"Okay. But Mario and I are still going to make sure that we get back at him good." Cappy promised her.
"I know. You're the best big brother in the world, Cappy." Tiara said, giving Cappy a hug.
"I love you, too, Tiara, my sweet little sister." Cappy replied, returning the hug. Then he said, "I've got to go check on Mario. He said that if Bowser was here, he was gonna need my help!"
"Be careful!" Tiara said.
"I will be." Cappy promised as he left the Odyssey and flew back to where Mario and the Princess were. Speaking of the pair, let's rejoin them now.
"You cannot imagine what I was feeling when I heard your voice, Mario! When I saw you standing there, very much alive, I was literally screaming your name and trying to struggle free from Bowser's grip!" Peach said.
"Ho notato. I noticed. But I guess you were screaming so loud that you didn't hear me tell Bowser that it was going to take more than a dragon to stop me." Mario said.
"That's true. I saw you yelling at Bowser, but I couldn't understand what you were saying while I was yelling for you." Peach said.
"If you hadn't been, you would've known sooner that he had, unfortunately, told the truth about the dragon." Mario said.
"Yeah..." said Peach, feeling sheepish. Then she said, "I also realized something else."
"What?" Mario asked.
"When Bowser and I were standing on the roof of that one building, I noticed something through my tears. I thought I saw something... or someone running around the lower part of the roof. I didn't know it was you, but I know how I could've found out quicker." Peach replied.
"How?" Mario asked.
"I could have asked Bowser "What's that?", and point in a direction away from you. Then, while he was distracted, I could've gotten down there to see you." Peach said.
"It makes me wonder if he really would've fallen for that..." Mario said.
"Probably. He might have thought someone was coming to save me, but he was looking away from us, so he wouldn't have known. I could've been back in your arms and on my way home with him being none the wiser." Peach told him.
"Sarebbe stato divertente. That would've been fun." Mario smiled.
"But... I didn't realize it until after the fact..." Peach said with an unhappy sigh.
"I know, dolcezza, I know..." Mario said, rubbing her back in a comforting way.
"I wish I'd done it when I had the chance, but, like when you and him battled in the Cloud Kingdom, I didn't do it." Peach said.
"It's okay, Peach. I'm not upset with you. I'm upset with Bowser. Especially after he sent me away so I couldn't save you again. But at least he didn't kill me that time; I guess he was hoping the Broodals would do the job for him while he tried to make you his wife." Mario assured her.
"You're so forgiving." Peach replied as she hugged Mario.
"To you. But to Bowser and the Broodals, not so much... I hate them." Mario said.
"Join the club." Peach said with a slight smile.
"I think Cappy has joined it, too, but I'd have to ask him." Mario said.
"Where do you think he and Tiara went?" Peach asked.
"Probably back to the Odyssey. Let's-a go and check." Mario said.
"Are your feet up for it?" Peach asked, remembering how Mario wanted to sit down and rest his tired feet before they talked. They were still sitting.
"I've rested for a while, so I think they're okay. Come on." Mario said, getting up.
But at that moment, Cappy showed up.
"Mario!" Cappy exclaimed.
"Oh! Ciao, Cappy!" Mario said, happy to see his Bonneter friend.
"Where is he?" Cappy asked, his voice low and menacing.
"Where's who?" Mario asked, confused.
"Bowser, of course!" Cappy replied.
"What?! Bowser's here?!" Peach asked, trembling.
Mario quickly pulled Peach into his arms and held her tightly, asking Cappy, "Where did you see him?!"
"I didn't. I heard you yelling at him." Cappy said.
Mario then realized what Cappy heard.
"Oh... I wasn't really yelling at Bowser. Peach and I talked about what happened while she was here, and I reminded her of what I said when we caught up to them here." Mario explained.
Then Cappy remembered.
"Oh, I'm such a dunce! Now I remember when you said that!" Cappy said.
"Yeah. Bowser isn't here." Peach smiled, before asking, "Where's Tiara?"
"She's hiding in the Odyssey." Cappy said.
"Let's-a go tell her that Bowser's not here." Mario said.
So Cappy, Mario, and Peach went back to the Odyssey, and sure enough, Tiara was in there, huddled on the bed.
"Ciao! Hello, Tiara!" Mario greeted her.
"Mario! Boy, am I glad to see you! Did you get rid of Bowser?!" Tiara asked, flying over to the plumber.
"Bowser's not here, sis. What we heard was Mario repeating what he said when the two of us caught up to Bowser." Cappy informed her.
Tiara was silent for a moment as she thought back to that moment, and then she said, "Oh yeah! I remember now! You said that right after that nincompoop Bowser was reminding Peach of what he hoped had happened to you guys!"
"Ha! You said 'poop'!" Mario and Cappy exclaimed in unison. That made Tiara giggle. And Peach was trying to cover up an amused smile.
"Anyway, who wants to get revenge on Bowser?" Peach asked.
"We do!" Mario and Cappy yelled.
"Then what are we waiting for, Christmas?! Let's go!" Tiara exclaimed.
Mario and Cappy got their revenge by capturing a Pokio and poking holes in the different buildings with its sharp, pointed beak. They made the holes spell out mean messages to Bowser. They said things like "Die, Bowser, die!", "Bowser is a nincompoop!", "Bowser must die!", etc...
"How does the castle stay afloat?" Peach wondered aloud.
"I don't know, Peach. But I do know that Bowser's going to be in for a shock when he gets back and sees what we did." Mario said, smiling as they passed by a building with holes that spelled out, "Bowser sucks!"
When it was evening, they still hadn't seen any sign of Bowser, and there wasn't a single building that didn't have an anti-Bowser message poked into it on all sides.
"So, is this it, Peach? Is the world tour over?" Mario asked.
"I should think it is. I think I've been to every place in the world..." Peach said, but then she added, "Oh!"
"Che cos'è? What is it?" Mario asked.
"But I forgot there are places beyond the world!" Peach said.
Mario knew what she was talking about, and he turned white.
"Mario, are you okay? You're as pale as a Boo." Peach said.
"Peach, Abu is not pale." Tiara said.
"I'm not talking about the monkey from "Aladdin". In the Mushroom Kingdom, ghosts are called 'Boos', and I referred to the singular form of them." Peach told her.
"Oh, okay." said Tiara.
"We're still not done?" Mario asked.
"Yes. You went as white as a sheet when Peach hinted at the next place we're going." Cappy said.
"Oh. Sorry..." Mario said.
"Mario, if there's something wrong with that, you don't have to go..." Peach said.
"No, no... I'll go... I want to make sure Bowser's not still there, lying in wait..." Mario replied.
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that. But are you sure he's still there? The Binding Band, Lochlady Dress, Soirée Bouquet, and all the food, save for the Frost-Frosted Cake, have all been returned. He may not try to marry me if that's the case." Peach said.
"You never know..." Mario said.
Peach knew that he was right.
"I guess I can't argue with your logic, Mario. When you're right, you're right." Peach replied.
"So... I'll see you at the Moon Kingdom, tomorrow?" Mario asked.
"I'll be there." Peach promised, and as Mario leaned close to give her a hug, she gave Mario a peck on the lips.
Cappy, Tiara, and Mario were all surprised at what Peach had done. Tiara was trying not to fangirl, Mario's face turned flaming scarlet, and Cappy was more surprised than he'd ever been.
"B-b-buona notte p-p-principessa... Good n-n-night, Princess..." Mario stammered, very surprised.
"Good night, Mario. I'll see you in the morning." Peach replied as they finished the hug.
Then both sides went back to their respective transports. Tiara was internally fangirling, but Mario and Cappy were keeping quiet until they got to the Odyssey. And when they were in the Odyssey...
"Hai visto che?! Did you see that?! Did you see that?!" Mario asked in excitement.
"She loves you!" Cappy cheered, and then he began singing "She Loves You". Mario joined in as he set a course for the Moon Kingdom. They continued to sing as the Odyssey took off and started making its way towards Honeylune Ridge.
Which is where we'll find them in the next chapter! You wanna see how Mario and Peach fare at the Moon Kingdom? Then I suggest you stay tuned!
