Title: Machine

Character: Bowyer

Description: Hiding in solitude years after Mario RPG, Bowyer does serious thinking.

(BOWYER'S POV)

I toss another flat stone at the lake, making it skip a couple of times before it finally sinks. I sigh as I plop myself down, letting my left foot swing back and forth just above the water's surface.

Now, I know you're all asking about my 'Yoda-ish' talk and where it is right now. Hey, just because I talk like that, doesn't mean I think or write that way.

For years now, this one question has been bugging me. For as long as I can remember, this question's been at the back of my head, and I can't seem to figure out the answer, now matter how long or hard I think. Although I can't say the same for my former cohorts like Mack and Yaridovich, This question's puzzled me for years.

Was I ever born?

The first thing I remember is stepping out of a chamber of some sorts, standing in front of my former master, Smithy. He said that I was Bowyer, and that my job was to do whatever he said. Without thinking of what was to come, I agreed, thinking that there was no way I could lose if Smithy backed me up.

Apparently, I was the second of Smithy's minions to be created. Until the third showed up, my only friend was Mack. Sure, he was all rough and tough, but we got along. Yaridovich came next, followed shortly by all five of the Axem Rangers. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by workers for Smithy. The Manager, walking hammers, hopping Shyguys, the Factory Chief, you name it, we had it. The Factory Chief even created a huge machine called the 'Gunyolk'. It may not have looked fearsome on the outside, but when it showed off the Breaker Beam, I had second thoughts.

Smithy, thinking his army was indestructible, ordered an invasion on the Mushroom Kingdom, which happened to be the home of a fat plumber named Mario. At the time, me had no idea who he was and continued the invasion.

Finally, after months of training, I received my first mission. I was to stake out in the Forest Maze and bombard Rose Town with my band of flunkies. I agreed and set off.

I soon found a lot of entertainment in firing arrows at the town, and I'm not afraid to say it: I actually had fun doing it. Suddenly, when I least expected it, one of my flunkies showed up with a green star. Thinking that it was useless, I shrugged it off. Just as I was about to continue firing more arrows, a wooden man dressed in a blue cape showed up and stopped me. Joining him soon after was Mario and a puffy cloud boy named Mallow.

If any of you have heard about it, I shouldn't need to tell you how the fight ended.

Mario and the others had defeated me. I lay on the ground, defeated, as Mario took off with the star. Although I was ashamed of myself that I could be defeated so easily, I was also confused. Why hadn't I exploded? I had heard that Mario had defeated Mack, resulting in the giant knife's destruction. Why hadn't the same happened to me?

Wasn't I ALSO a machine?

As I slowly sat up, I gripped my wounded arm...Wait. My WOUNDED arm? I thought that machines weren't supposed to GET wounds. I was now severely confused. I decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to get away from Smithy, as I was probably considered dead by now. Needing more time to think of this strange happening, I headed off to Rose Way.

When I got to Rose Way, I quickly found a spot that was inaccessible from the pathways and decided to camp there. I still live here at Rose Way to this day.

I sigh as I look back at my run-down shack of a home. I had literally built that small house by myself and with absolutely no idea what I was doing. Well, I'm satisfied with it, mainly because it's just me living here.

Without standing up, I skip another perfectly flat stone across the water, this time making it skip halfway across the lake. I had lived here so long that I had perfected the art of stone-skipping long ago.

After I had finished work on my house, I had heard from a couple of fishermen that Mario had recovered five stars, which were apparently pieces of Star Road, and had currently jumped into a volcano to recover the sixth. Although I didn't know what to think, I found myself wanting to help the guy in some way. I got up and rushed off to Bowser's Keep, where Exor had planted himself.

To make a long story short, I took a shortcut and ended up at Bowser's Keep. When I reached Exor, he said that everyone thought I was dead, and sounded surprised when he said it. He granted me permission to go to the factory.

Once inside the factory, I wanted to make sure that I took out the strongest of Smithy'd defenses so Mario would have no problem getting through. I sneaked through the factory, hoping to come across something soon.

On the way, I received the shock of my life. Machine-made duplicates of Mack, Yaridovich, the Axem Rangers and myself were being created left and right. I found myself looking at my hand. Maybe I was a machine after all. But then again, maybe these robotic duplicates are merely clones of me. I'm still trying to figure that out to this day.

I eventually found my target. A huge, robotic dragon. This was Smithy's proudest creation, and had only one weakness that none of Mario's friends had.

Its weakness was arrows.

I ambushed the creature and destroyed it. By the time it was gone for good, Mario had penetrated the factory. When Smithy realized that the dragon had been destroyed, he was forced to do a last-minute swap, sending Cloaker and Domino, the two newest creations, to stop Mario instead.

As Mario and the others mopped the floor with the dynamic duo, I had managed to sneak away unnoticed. I eventually found my way to the portal and jumped in, going back to the Mushroom Kingdom. I was back at my new home before supper.

I adapted to life in the Mushroom Kingdom. I ate and slept just like everyone else, even though I'm still confused. I was always under the impression that machines weren't supposed to get hungry or tired. Although I had to disguise myself, I earned an honest living as a badge salesman.

Years passed. Although my job got me money, it was still barely enough to help me survive. I traveled to Rougeport, a distant town, in hopes of finding people willing to buy my badges. Even there I wasn't terribly popular, as there was already a badge shop in town.

But imagine whom I ran into.

Mario. The same mustached, red-clad, portly plumber that had defeated me years ago had showed up at Rougeport, on another adventure. I offered him a look at my goods, using my fake voice so that he wouldn't put two and two together. He found a badge that he actually thought was useful and paid for it. I thanked him and said that he was welcome to come back and shop from me again anytime he liked.

Although I was tempted to ask him if I could help him on the adventure, I decided against it, knowing that if Mario found out who I really was, he'd pound me into the floor without giving me a chance to react.

Well, that's pretty much my life story. I spend many nights outside of my house, skipping stones across the lake. I'm often baffled at what I really am. Am I just like the others? A machine, but one that Smithy actually gave feelings like hunger to? Or am I a living being, kidnapped from my home and brainwashed to make me think I was 'created' to serve Smithy? This I may never know, as the earliest thing I can remember is stepping out of that capsule years ago. I may have been created, but I may also have been brainwashed.

I look up into the night sky with hope. Maybe there's a village of people like me actually out there somewhere. Maybe I AM a living being, brainwashed for evil purposes. Maybe sometime I'll actually venture out into other kingdoms and see if I can find anything.

Because I am more confident that I am no machine.

END

Author's notes: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy playing Paper Mario 2 (as well as working on my other fic 'Amazing Race: VG Style'). Well, now that I've finished Paper Mario 2, I'm open for suggestions from the game as well.

Currently, I'm trying to come up with POV's for Kamek, Mallow (no, Selphie, I didn't forget about you :)) and even Kolorado.