Alright, this chapter began as two chapters, but they were both kinda short and I felt that they belonged as one. Yes, this is the end. Five chapters shorter than the original KooK, but (hopefully) just as good. This chapter is somewhat sad and makes you feel kinda sorry for every character. Hopefully, you've enjoyed reading this story and, hopefully, you'll read some more of mine. Thank you.
Sailor Taichichi Vegeta: Thank you a billion times over for your reviews. They've been uber fun to read. And, yes, One-Winged Angel is grand, as is For Good. I'm excited for when you get the chance to listen to it. And tell your brother that if he hurts my client again, I'll have to sic a Chain Chomp on him! Again, thank you.
shadow-spawn180: Hey, man, you're cool. Probably one of the coolest people I've met on this site. Hopefully, I'll get my non-fanfic done soon so you can proof read it. Thanks for your reviews!
Queen B of Randomness016: Hey, you! Yer cool, too! Hopefully, the wolrd of fanfiction will allow me to cross paths with you (and your awesome words) again!
HeroInGreen: You popped up after KooK and started reviewing this story, and I'm pleased to say that I always look forward to your reviews. You rock, duder!
And now, I proudly present the last chapter of King of the Koopas: Because I Knew You
The day was upon her as she awoke in her bed, dressed in her bright pink gown. She arose and stretched out her arms, yawning. She was awake, and what a terrible nightmare she had had.
She could barely remember the terrifying dream except that it was horrible, and yet…sad. She felt sad that she was awake, for some reason, as if she was missing someone she would never see again.
She shrugged the feeling off as she took her shower and slipped into her beautiful pink ball gown. She was dressing up especially nice, for today was a special occasion: the day Mario was coming over to her castle for the first time.
She hummed a song that was stuck in her head as she began applying make-up to her perfect face. Her hair was down, past her shoulders, shining particularly bright that morning. However, one thing puzzled her.
She wasn't smiling.
She couldn't find the strength to. For some reason, her heart was sunk, as if a dear friend of hers had just passed away. She knew this wasn't the case, but she simply wasn't happy that Mario was coming over.
Was she having second thoughts about him? Maybe he wasn't the right guy that she was looking for? She didn't know.
Outside, the Princess heard cheers. Confused, she ran to her window, thinking that maybe the Toads were celebrating Mario's arrival. They weren't. Instead, they were rejoicing over the death of someone. Who, she couldn't quite tell. She opened the door to her Throne Room and descended down the stairs. By the time she got down the bottom of the staircase, she was tired. She could've sworn that they were bottomless or something.
She began walking outside when a Toad servant stopped her.
"Your Majesty, you have visitors: Our good friends from Mushroom Court."
The moment he finished his sentence, two officials from the Mushroom Court rounded a corner and faced the young Princess. They were both in their late-twenties, dressed in red and blue uniforms, one sporting a mustache. They each bowed in respect.
"Your Majesty, we came as soon as we heard of your father's tragic death, and we are pleased to hear that the tyrant is dead." One said calmly, with an accent. Peach's jaw opened as she backed away, shocked.
"My father was not a tyrant!" she exclaimed. The mustached man looked puzzled for a moment, and then gave a hearty laugh.
"No, no, Princess, I am speaking of the beast who killed your father, Bowser." He replied.
Princess Peach looked to the ground, lost in thought. Bowser. Where had she heard that name before? It was so familiar, like she had known it her entire life, yet she couldn't math it up with a person.
"No matter, Your Majesty, it is all in the past." The other replied. "Now, we are here to simply make your kingdom life more enjoyable until you come of age, in which then this entire kingdom shall be yours. Now, let us begin with the laws your father had laid down. Let's see…" he began, looking at a scroll he had removed from his pocket. "We have the deed to most countries in western Het Naamkaartje, the Yoshi Replacement law, the Koopa Segregation law…"
"Wait a minute, what?" the Princess interrupted. The man looked up at her.
"Well, I do assume that you wish to keep up the Koopa Segregation law that Wart began, correct?" he asked. Peach looked at him, her eyes becoming fiery.
"No, I do not wish to keep that law." She stated, and began to walk outside. The man looked at her.
"I beg your pardon, Princess?"
"Consider them begged, kind sir. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
The mustached man grabbed her wrist, stopping her.
"Now, Princess, be reasonable. You're giving Koopas their freedom? The people of Mushroom kingdom will…"
"Unhand me or I'll have you thrown into the moat and drowned." Peach shouted. She slapped his wrist and walked outside, furious. The two men exchanged awkward looks.
"Like father, like daughter, I guess."
The Princess grasped her head, slightly messing up her hair. Why did she get so angry at that law? What did she have for Koopas rights?
'I guess…it's just not right.' She thought. 'Segregation law…just a fancy term for slavery. And there is no room for innocent people being treated like dirt in my kingdom.'
The Toads were gathered around a green warp pipe, celebrating the death of…Bowser, Peach only assumed. Mario was there, in glorious red and blue, looking as stunning as ever. Peach looked into his eyes. They were bright blue. She sighed. For some reason, she remembered them being red, filled with hatred and…
What was that dream she had?
She walked over to Mario, who kissed her on the cheek. The Princess smiled but, as soon as the man turned around, she wiped her check with a gloved hand. For some reason, she didn't feel as if she trusted Mario, like he was…
She laughed. Mario, a killer? What a joke! She had known Mario forever and knew that they were perfect for each other. They took each other's hands and walked inside the castle together. Peach had just baked a cake the night before. She couldn't remember who it was for, decorated with green and orange sprinkles, but she only assumed now that she had made it for her lover.
They all sat down, Peach, Mario, and the Toads, as they ate their cake. Then the Toads began singing a well-known folktale about the death of an evil wizard, only used Bowser's name instead of the wizard's. Everyone laughed and sung along, with the exception of the Princess. She could feel her eyes watering up, her throat choking. Why was this song making her cry?
She excused herself and walked back up to her Throne Room, where she collapsed onto her bed, sobbing.
Bowser also awoke, only somewhere entirely different. He was in a very dark room, incredibly hot. He filled with fear. Was he in Hell?
He got up to inspect the place. It seemed like a small, dirty room. He tripped on something, a large book maybe, and fell to the floor, grasping a piece of cloth on his way down. It was a curtain, and upon ripping it off of the window, sunlight streamed in like rapid fire. Bowser squinted his eyes to get a look at where he was at, and gasped.
He was in his own childhood cottage, magically repaired, surrounded by the flow of lava. He pushed himself up and looked around. Everything was exactly the way he remembered it. There, over on a shelf in a corner, was the flower pot he had made out of clay. There, on the floor by his bed, was the book Brank had been reading. There, on the table, was the…
Brank. His siblings. That's what was missing from this perfect picture. He sighed. So nothing was the way it was. Princess Peach had forgotten about him (that was the curse of the Stars) and he was still a nothing. A Koopa who had gone too far and was paying the price for his wicked deeds.
"It's not too late to fulfill your destiny, child."
Bowser spun his head around. He recognized that voice all-too well. Standing in the doorway of his cottage was a smaller Koopa woman, dressed in purple robes and a large violet hat. In her hand was a broomstick that looked greatly weathered out.
"Kamilia…"
The Magikoopa smiled. "Welcome back, my son." She said as she hugged him tightly. Bowser forced a smile on his face. He was happy to see Kammy again, of course, but…was did she mean by fulfilling his destiny? Was his destiny to become evil? He didn't believe it was anyone destiny to become that.
But…the Princess had forgotten about him, her memories of them together washed away with the rest of the Star Storm. If she did meet up with him, she would surely think he was evil anyways. But…he needed to speak with her again. He needed to regain her trust.
He needed to get her away from Mario, that dangerous man. Even if he had to kidnap the Princess, he was going to make sure that Peach knew the truth.
"Come, Lord Bowser, we have much preparation to do." Kammy said, grabbing Bowser's claw and leading him outside. There he saw his Flying Machine, completely repaired and remodeled to look like the face of an evil clown. Bowser frowned when he saw this, but knew that Kammy put much work into it, so pretend he enjoyed the new look of his vehicle.
Inside the machine, he found his brother's eggs. He sighed with relief when he found them, completely unharmed. He was going to treat each and every one of them like his own. He didn't know what that meant at first, but then he realized that he was going to treat them all like his niece. Hopefully, they will all grow up to become as peaceful and perfect as her.
"I know of a powerful relic, Bowser," she began, climbing aboard her broomstick. "A relic so powerful that it can control all of the stars in the sky. I bet it could even harness the power of Stars! It is, after all, called the Star Rod…"
As Kammy began her plan to steal the Star Rod, Bowser climbed into his Flying Machine…or his Clown Car, which he thought was a better name for it now. Thoughts went back to Peach and how she would rule over Mushroom Kingdom. Would she follow in her father's footsteps, or would the innocence of her mother shine through? He didn't know for sure, but he thought about her so hard he could see her…there she was, laying in her bed…crying?
Peach lifted her head, gasping. Something had entered her mind. A figure so familiar that she knew him yet didn't. Was it the person from her dream? The person that she loved so much, yet couldn't remember?
She began to choke again as she rose from her bed and walked over to a table. There she found a spell book. She smiled. Bowser saw the spell book, too. He recognized it when he tripped over it in his cottage.
They were connected again, Bowser and Peach. Though neither of them knew it, they were both connected by the magic in those books, and the love in their hearts.
Peach grasped the spell book and held it close to her heart. She then grabbed the golden crown that was sitting on top of it and placed it on her head. She smiled again, as did Bowser, so far away, holding one of Brank's children close.
"I don't know who you are, mystery Koopa," she whispered to the air, hoping it would carry her message to him. "But…I love you. Whoever you are and wherever you may be."
Bowser felt a tear dripping down his cheek.
"Are you coming, Bowser?" Kammy cried from fifty feet up in the air. Bowser looked up at her, nodded, and soared off in his Clown Car.
"I love you, too, Peach," he whispered. "And, someday, you will know the truth about us. Until then…we'll both be ruling over our own kingdoms. Let's pray we each do a good job."
And, with that, Peach went back downstairs, feeling much better, while Bowser flew through the Western Skies, still defying gravity.
Ah, Wicked refrences...even after all this time, I couldn't find a better way to end a KooK story than with "defying gravity." Well, I'll see ya all later! Hopefully, you'll all come back to see King of the Koopas: Something Wicked, the last and (technically) the first story in the trilogy, when I write it in a few weeks. Adios!