Chapter 9: A Wish from the Heart
That night passed faster than any night had for Bowser. He didn't sleep a lot, he couldn't. He wanted to stay awake and make sure it was real, to savor the moment. He spent the entire night watching Peach peacefully sleep in his arms. She looked so calm and angelic she was too good to be true. But she was there. He could feel her deep even breaths and gently touch her golden hair. He didn't want morning to come. He didn't want her to wake up. What if she was frightened to see him in the morning? He was only hugging her but what if that upset her? She had said he could stay but she didn't say he could hug her. Only about an hour away from sunrise Bowser was finally defeated by sleep and fell into a peaceful slumber.
A pair of beautiful sapphire eyes started to slowly open. She was a bit startled that she wasn't in her room at the Mushroom Kingdom but stopped herself from making any noise. With the remaining sleep completely out of her system her memories were clear and she also remembered a dream. What an unusual dream that was. "Bowser? Bowser wake up, we should continue our trip soon" He appeared to wake up but was still half asleep. "Good morning. Are you still tired? It's ok you can rest a little longer"
"Good morning" Bowser said a bit surprised but in a good way. She had woken up first and didn't look angry about the hug. "I'm alright, we should continue" He was still sleepy but at the same time full of energy after seeing Peach's smiling face. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I was dreaming..." Peach said remembering her dream.
"What were you dreaming of my princess?" Bowser asked.
Peach blushed. "I forgot, but it's not important let's go have some breakfast and be on our way, Star Hill is near" Knowing that Peach wouldn't speak another word about her dream which he was pretty sure she still remembered Bowser decided to keep his curiosity to himself at least for now.
Star Hill was a large blue meteor that fell west of Marrymore many years ago. On the meteor there were star shaped doors that opened when all the star flowers in that area of the meteor lit up. In order to open the star door people had to speak to the star flowers and they would decide if this person was allowed to cross Star Hill. Most of the time, the star flowers were very trusting and let almost anyone pass to the next area of Star Hill. Star Hill was also the place where granted wishes landed after the Star Road worked its magic. Wishes were turned into stars and granted wishes were then turned into shooting stars. When ever someone saw a granted wish, a shooting star, they cold make a wish of their own and the message would be received at the Star Road. But sometimes some wishes were not granted and even so they also landed in Star Hill.
Bowser and Peach had split up to find the star flowers faster. They would meet at the star door once it was open after talking to all the starflowers in that area and proceed to the next area of Star Hill. Peach spotted a star flower near by. "Hello, could you please shine your light and open the door?" She asked. The flower didn't speak but in response it started to shine a beautiful golden light. "Thank you" As she headed back having found all the starflowers in the area that was hers to search she heard a familiar sound like a heavenly melody. She knew Bowser must have found the last star flower and the door was open.
Then she stopped something had caught her attention. There was a star on the ground shining, its wish had not been granted. The princess curiously picked up the star, she knew she shouldn't listen to other people's wishes but she wondered what the wish could be. With the Star Road fully repaired and working under Geno's watchful eyes all wishes except those beyond the power of the Star Road should be granted. She was surprised when she heard a voice echo in her mind coming from the star. Not because of the voice itself since she knew that would happen when a wish star is touched but because of who made the wish.
This was Bowser's voice she heard coming from the wish star. "I wish Peach would understand that I love her and love me back" This kind of wish was beyond the power of even the Star Road for love is something that needs to be earned and cannot be wished for.
"Peach" Bowser was calling, he must be wondering why she wasn't at the door.
"Coming!" Peach said sounding as natural as possible. She hid the wish star in her dress and hurried to meet Bowser. They entered the last door together and reached Seaside Town.
Beyond Seaside Town was the Sea and beyond that a sunken ship belonging to pirates. They were mostly sharks she they could survive underwater plus most areas of the ship were actually dry and had enough oxygen trapped inside to allow land creatures to breath. The sharks didn't really mind as the too could come out of the Sea but they preferred to stay near it. Those who were not sharks were mostly ghosts. There used to be a giant squid trapped inside that ship. The squid attacked the ship and sunk it but the pirates managed to trap it. When Mario, Mallow, Geno, Peach and Bowser were searching for one of the star pieces to repair the Star Road they defeated the squid in order to get to the captain of the ship who had the star.
Captain Jonathan Johnny Jones wasn't friendly right away but after Mario showed him he could defend himself Johnny gave him the star. It didn't end there as the people of Seaside Town had been taken hostage by one of Smithy's henchmen, it was Johnny who came to the surface and stopped Yaridovish from escaping with that star that Mario was forced to give up to save the people of Seaside Town. After a battle with Yaridovish the star was recovered.
Johnny had become their friend. He was another friend that was left with the promise of a visit and Peach wasn't about to break it. Promises like that should be kept she had learned her lesson when she broke her promise to go see Bowser after his castle was repaired and he started kidnapping her again after waiting her visit for months. Johnny wouldn't do that of course but still she didn't want to lose a friendship so she told Bowser that she wanted to stop by the sunken ship to say hi.
Bowser was in a pretty good mood with how things were going so far. Peach looked like she was comfortable and even happy around him and he didn't want to change that so he agreed. They went past the ghosts from one part of the ship to another and soon reached the captain's cabin. This place brought back a bittersweet memory for Bowser. Johnny had challenged Mario to a one on one fight for the star piece. Two pirates stood on the sidelines cheering for him while Peach, Mallow and Geno cheered for Mario. Bowser stood to the side quietly glaring daggers at Mario. He had to be the one to get the challenge. Why Mario? Why not him? Why did everyone automatically assume Mario was the leader?
Bowser had invited the others to join the Koopa Troop in the mission to reclaim his castle from Smithy, the one who destroyed the Star Road sending its seven pieces to fall all over this world. He had established his base on Bowser's castle which also served as a portal to his dimension. Yet even if they were going on this journey as part of his Koopa Troop everyone thought Bowser was the one who had joined Mario's group.
As he watched his other travel companions cheering he couldn't help it but to wonder if it was true, if he was the one following Mario in his quest to restore the Star Road instead of Mario following him in his quest to recover his castle. Smithy was the one who caused all this so a confrontation would be inevitable and because of that they had to go to his castle. His thoughts had been interrupted when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Let's cheer for Mario ok?" Peach said.
"I think he has enough cheerleaders" Bowser had said annoyed.
"C'mon he needs all of our support" Peach had said. She took his hand and walked towards Mallow and Geno who were cheering for Mario. Once they were standing in line next to the other two she let got and continued her cheers. She might have been cheering for Mario and not him but none the less she took his hand and spoke to him something that he thought she would be afraid to do. There was also the fact that she noticed he was missing from their little cheerleader quad in the first place and actually tried to get him to join in. Of course there was no way he was going to cheer for Mario but he stood there beside the princess instead of away from the group until the fight was over with Mario as the victor.
Jonathan Johnny Jones was glad to see his friends again. He didn't make that fact too obvious but dropped a hint just big enough for it to be easily caught. After staying there for a while and catching up on all the time that had passed Peach and Bowser continued their travels.
They crossed a place known as Land's End and arrived at Belome's Temple. Belome was a large doglike creature with four ears and four eyes. Hid tongue was, as Mellow said, as big as a fire hose and he had with an appetite even bigger. He had taken a taste of each Mario, Peach, Mallow, Geno and Bowser and then created clones of them when they tried to get across the temple. The ones he liked best were Mallow and Peach.
"Stay close just in case Belome is hungry" Bowser said. Peach nodded and moved closer to him. She certainly didn't want to get eaten. Belome's temple was made of golden bricks with several statues of his head. The tongues of the statues were actually switches that opened the passages to go deeper into the temple.
A person wearing a blue hooded robe approached silently from behind. The fortune teller silently placed a hand on Peach's shoulder gently but suddenly. "Eek!" The princess jumped into the arms of the koopa king who caught her even if he was taken by surprised. She was a little jumpy thinking that Belome could come out of any dark corner and try to eat her. Being in the mouth of a giant dog was not an experience that would be easily forgotten.
"I'm sorry miss did I scare you?" The fortune teller asked the obvious question.
Bowser turned around with Peach still in his arms and glared at the fortune teller. He only saw darkness and two glowing eyes inside the hood but couldn't see a face. "It's alright" Peach said nodding to Bowser indication that he could put her down. She blushed a little as he set her on her feet again, keeping an arm around her shoulders. Maybe she was still a bit worried about Belome because she didn't protest to this.
"May I tell your fortune?" The question was expected, it was what the fortune teller asked everyone when they entered Belome's temple.
Peach wondered if this magical being had ever had an encounter with Belome then again the ability to teleport might have prevented that. She nodded. "Yes please"
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own the Super Mario games or any Nintendo characters.