Eternally Never Yours

by EchoEternal

Slash-fic, M/M. A hopeless romantic wonders if he'll ever have what it takes to end a tedious charade. Tired of the lies and secrets, he writes to his beloved about what they can never have. From there, the rest spirals out of his control. Rated T, just in case.

52. Chapter 52

Well, well. Hasn't been too long, has it?

I pushed myself to pumping this update out, because it's been long enough and I really don't want to take forever. Plus, the timing for this update seems nice.

This will be the first part for time with Bowser and Mario, because I know we're craving those romantic vibes they give. Right? Right.

Oh, but remember to buckle up for this one! It's a bit lengthy, and it's a bit, ah...steamy or spicy? Hm. One of those! But, enough teasing, at least from me.

Please read ahead and enjoy!

...

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To My Friend Reading This,

I'm not quite sure who will end up reading this, and that's strangely not the first time that I've written something to no one in particular. Maybe it's just somewhere to organize my thoughts, or maybe I'll give this to someone when I finally go over the full story of, well, everything that's happened. (I think a lot of us need some form of therapy down the road.)

Recently, Princess Peach labeled me as a danger to the Mushroom Kingdom, due to my connection with Bowser and his kingdom. At the same time, she wouldn't explain why she did it to her people, the real reason behind it, nor did she want them to consider me an enemy in the same vein as they would with Bowser himself. Eventually, she left it for me to tell the full story, when I'm able. There was a LOT more that came out with it, but concerning me, that was the main takeaway from it.

To be honest, I'm not sure exactly where that leaves me. I'm still at Bowser's Castle, but in spite of us discussing it, I don't think I'm technically part of his kingdom. If I'm eventually disavowed from the Mushroom Kingdom, I don't know if that means that I need to stay in the Koopa Kingdom, nor do I know if that's a bad, unwanted notion.

Though, I do find it distressing that I may never get to return to my home and friends again. What if I never get to see Luigi or the others down the road? I've been with him for the majority of my life; I don't think I know how to live without him entirely. Not being able to see any other Toads or Yoshi or the others again would be dreadful as well. Even Peach, after everything, I would feel lost without getting to speak with her any more. (And I like to believe she still needs me too.)

Bowser has done all that he could to comfort me and share his home with me, so that would be the light in the darkness. (That might be a dated analogy, considering what I've learned.) He's gone from faking me as his prisoner to keeping me close by his side. Whatever peace was in his castle was thrown out of control because Bowser kept trying to defend me, making efforts to quell them for my sake. To me personally, I keep thinking he couldn't possibly get sweeter, showing soft and vulnerable sides to me, but he keeps doing it, and I'm delighted every time. From helping me get close to his son to showing me secret sides of his castle that he trusts with few others, Bowser has opened a lot of his life to me.

And depending upon who you are, you might find it strange that I've grown comfortable here, with him. Or maybe, by the time you're reading this, you may not be surprised at all.

The hostility in his troops and subjects has waned steadily, greatly since we were last resting here. It may actually be comfortable to be in this castle. Even his higher-ranking cabal is mostly open, supportive even, to my being here, to our relationship. It's almost night and day from when they first learned about us.

Don't get me wrong; even with his home (maybe ours by now) more orderly again, there is still much to be done. Not considering the ongoing war between the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms, and hopefully creating a peaceful resolution to it all, there are still additional obstacles, hurdles for us to clear. My nightmare curse can be cured soon, but as it requires me to return to Star Hill, I'm worried that I may cause Bowser to leave at a wrong, inopportune moment. We're both also furthering our understandings of Mushroom Kingdom Magic, which is a bit more involved than expected. And, recently, Kamek departed from the castle, in an effort to hinder Peach's progress; this devastates Bowser more than he lets on.

However, I do think that we're capable of addressing these matters, and as we work together, in harmony and unity, we will be able to solve all that we can. In fact, I'm finding myself confident that brighter days await us!

It will take time, but I believe that we can rise up and meet the challenges before us. Hopefully, once you read this, we'll have done so.

Until then, a new dawn awaits us, and we'll eagerly face it head-on!

Fondly, with hope,

Mario

… … … … …

[Bowser]

In spite of the morning passing us by almost entirely, I think Mario and I were of one mind in favor of staying in bed for as long as possible. The only reason that I'd eventually give up was due to my body betraying me and forcing me to remain awake on its more frequent schedule, in spite of my wishes for otherwise.

Damned thing.

Pushing up a bit from bed, I wiped some drool from my mouth, wincing at my disgustingly wet hand. Plucking my other arm from beneath Mario's pillow, I tried brushing at my hair, even messier than usual at this point. Though, my effort did little for it; need to at least rinse the stupid strands.

After I lazily brushed at my eyes, I turned to my beloved boyfriend, who was in about as sightly of a state as I was. Mario lightly snored, half of his head buried against the pillow. Drool, his hopefully, coated a spot on his pillow, and I think mixed onto his lips and mustache. The blankets were tossed about, his upper back and shoulders exposed, and one leg dangled from the bed. One arm sprawled out, almost toward me, while the other was draped over his messy brown mop; the hair against the pillow would be sure to be stuck standing up once he lifted it.

Stars, he was still so damn gorgeous.

My hand reached for his, but with a snort and a cough, he stirred. Slowly, his head lifted, his hair standing like I expected, and his beautiful blue eyes opened up to the world once again.

"Ugh…what time is it…?" Even his groggy voice was cute to me.

"Late enough that we should have been up a while ago," I murmured.

"Mm…why is my…?" Mario dabbed at his mustache and lips. "Oh, gross. I didn't get that on you, did I?"

"Worried about the same thing myself," came my quiet admission.

"Ha. Maybe we should go get cleaned up."

"And miss out on morning breath kisses?" His eyes lowered as I smirked to him.

"You are not that disgusting."

"Yet I find the foul idea tempting, just for you."

"Ew." Sleepy blue eyes narrowed. "Do not."

"Just one…?" I leaned over, and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Depends on where it goes." His hand reached for the pillow.

As much fun as a little torment to him could be, playing nice won me over, and I planted a sweet kiss on his forehead. His hands scratched at my jaw, rewarding my good behavior and enticing me to linger. Barely pulling back, just enough to see him, I longed to lay back and just spend our day here together.

But, he was right: we needed to clean up a bit by now.

Scooping him from the bed, in spite of the protests about him being able to walk on his own, I hauled Mario and myself to the bathroom. Plopping him down inside, I shut the door behind us and trudged over to the shower. A bath would've been nicer, but we slept late, and we couldn't dawdle all day.

Perks of royalty: big showers for the bathroom, especially so for me.

Twisting at the me-faced showerhead and then the handle, the hiss and splash of the water whipped at my hair as it rained down behind me. A yelp escaped me as the icier temperature hit first, and I was dumb enough to let it. Mario snorted and chuckled as I poked my head out, lowly growling at him as he set his clothes aside.

"Last time I get this ready for you," I grumbled.

"For us," corrected Mario. "And that's your ice bath funeral, if you so choose."

"You're literally a plumber."

"It's your shower."

"So? You can figure it out."

"But it's yours."

"Just get in here!"

He laughed and slid in past me. Lucky for him, the temperature had already adjusted, and my darling boyfriend needn't suffer the horrors of sheer cold ice water. Jerk.

Something must have caught on for him, or he learned how to read minds maybe, because right after rinsing himself, he grabbed the shampoo and reached up for me.

"Want me to wash your hair out?" He lowered his eyes. "I know we can't take forever, but if you stop scowling at me, I'll take my time."

"Promise?"

"Sure."

Masterful manipulation at his finest, but I wouldn't be denied that kind of pampering. Kneeling down for him, I waited as he poured out the shampoo and rubbed at my messy hair. His movements were slow, and he made sure to press down lower, massaging at my head. I moaned a bit as he smirked, brushing at my hair as he lathered it up. Soap was bound to drip down, but I had to take in his chest before I shut my eyes; a little more defined lately, and I licked at my lips as I glanced a little lower. The belly is still round, just how I like it. And…ah, damn soapsuds. I closed my eyes as he rubbed around my head, purring a bit as he carried on.

"Aw, listen to you," he teased. "It's almost like you're getting soft just for me."

"Quiet," I mumbled. "…And that's not what I'd call it…"

"No?" He giggled as he brushed my lathered hair back. "Not getting too tired down there, are you?"

"A bit."

"Well, your hair's coated soapy white, so, now might be a good time to get back up."

"Lift me."

"No."

"Worst boyfriend ever."

A heavy sigh exhaled out from him, and he gripped at my sides while I chuckled. His hands slipped a bit, but he got into a steady hold and grunted as he pulled my weight upward. Water splashed onto my face and I rubbed around my head, rinsing it off. Splashing hit the stall around us, as the shampoo bottle snapped. Wiping away at my face, I nudged at his head.

"Hey, hey, give me that."

"Huh?"

"It's your turn."

"Oh, you don't—"

"No, but I want to."

"Hm…I don't know…" He rubbed at his chin. "Not sure if the 'worst boyfriend' deserves that kind of pampering."

"Ok, I lied; out of every boyfriend around, you're the greatest of all time."

"Flattery gets you everywhere," he joked, as he poured the shampoo into my hand.

Grinning, I rubbed around his head, as slowly shut his eyes. He'd better have been looking at me first. Rubbing around his head, I lightly scratched between his brown strands and gently at his scalp. His soft hum encouraged me to carry on, massaging at his head as I lathered his hair up as he had mine. Pressing my thumbs to his temples, I rolled them around a bit as I reached around the back of his head, eliciting a quieted and delighted moan from him. As much as I wanted to linger, there wasn't a lot left to do; it's a bit easier for me since he's shorter. Still, even as I pulled back, I rolled a bit of his hair around my fingers, taking just a few seconds more.

"Unless you want to stay there all day," I suggested, "you're free."

"Tempting," he murmured.

But, we can't be idle forever, and I backed aside as he rinsed his hair off. I watched his brown strands pool by the drain with my red ones. A mess to clean later shouldn't make me this happy.

After washing our bodies off, I slipped past him to shut off the shower and he pulled the towels inside. There was far too much of me burning with the desire to dry him off, but I restrained myself, and focused on rubbing as much water off as I could. He finished faster than I did and stepped out, drying off his hair. I nibbled my lip a bit as I followed him out.

As I finished drying my hair, I watched while Mario neatly trimmed his dark mustache with the razor, taking away the hairs too close to his lips. He looked himself over in the mirror, studying his face and taking a bit more off from where he had worked. Taking another look, he nodded, satisfied with his work, and finally stopping. He blinked at the mirror, noticing me staring at him, and smirked as he turned.

"Uh, sorry." I shrugged. "You just keep it so cleaned up, and so many people love it, so I got entranced watching."

"That's fine." Mario stepped over to me and placed his hands around my cheeks. He rubbed a little lower along my jaw and gently patted at me. "You know, I think you'd look good with something on your face too."

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah." He nodded, massaging at my face. "Maybe a mustache for you too. Or a little goatee. Ooh, or a full beard to fluff you up more!"

"Ha, uh, I don't know..."

"It could be worth a shot," suggested Mario. "You'd look like a big fluffy dragon!"

"Fluffy, yet scaly and spiky," I pointed out. "I don't think anyone would want to try cuddling me regardless."

"No one else should be allowed to besides me," teased Mario. He winked as his hands slid further down. "And I've already gone well past cuddling, all things considered." My mouth dropped a bit as he poked at my nose. "After all, I've hugged and kissed you plenty of times by now."

"Right! Ah, hugging, kissing, right, right...you, uh, you definitely did cuddling and more, ha." Stars, I can't start sweating now; I just finished washing! Hell, I was literally with him!

"Mm." His hands traced down lower, until he picked up mine. "Didn't you need to sharpen these?"

"Huh? Wh...oh! Yeah, yeah, I, uh...let me get on that."

As I twisted away from his smugly beaming face, I fumbled around to find a claw file. He's the only one that gets me worked up just like this, and I don't know why I love it so much. But even with my face burning and my heart hammering...I did enjoy his attention.

Sharpening my nails as he plucked out his toothbrush, I smirked as lightly wet it and gently pushed out some toothpaste. Finishing up the left claw, I filed away at my right hand next, glancing at Mario as he rinsed his mouth out. I slid my tail around his legs, getting him to spit the water out and sputter over the sink. Cackling, I watched as he glared through the mirror, and turned away as I inspected my nails.

"Everything ok?"

"You're evil."

"I thought you liked the tail."

"Where's your brush? Does your toilet need cleaning?"

"Oh, so now you're a plumber."

"Hush up."

Laughing, I kissed his, ah, "coconut sea breeze" scented head, and then quickly stole my toothbrush from his hand. He dried his mouth and tugged on his clothing while I finished up, tossing a face towel at me just as I twisted the faucet handle off. Snapping my wrist and armbands on, I ambled after him from the bathroom.

Once he turned for me though, I lowered my face near his, and nudged at him with my nose. A chuckle escaped him and I sniffed at his icy spearmint breath. Hopefully, he wouldn't hate spicy cinnamon, because it wasn't my favorite flavor, but…well.

Whatever reservations I had left were gone, as he lifted his hands to my cheeks and guided his lips against mine. Tenderly we kissed, mixing the spicy hot and minty cold breaths. Almost teasingly, he pulled back from my mouth, but just enough to have me hungrily chase him. Returning, he pressed his lips in closer, running his tongue against my lips. I slipped mine to meet his, and they glided against one another. Slowly and reluctantly, we broke apart, smiling to one another.

It wasn't nearly enough for me, and I had to make an attempt for more.

"All cleaned off, let's go back to bed," I joked, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and pulling us toward the bedroom. A few steps caught him off-guard, but he planted his feet down soon after. "Aw, come on. It'd be nice."

"You're incorrigible."

"I like to think I'm lovable."

"Mm…ok, that too," he relented, and I kissed at his head again. He patted at my cheek, keeping me closer to him. "So, what should we get done for today?"

"Did you want to talk about the address anymore?" His hand slipped from my face, and I almost instantly hated myself for destroying the delightful late morning mood.

"Not really," he admitted. "There's…not a lot left for that."

"Pretty sure there's a lot more," I contested, "but that's for when you're ready to."

"Thank you." Mario rubbed at his arm. "Probably should go over it in a few hours." He raised an eyebrow at me. "And you need to talk with me too."

"About?"

"You know exactly who."

Damn him. He was right though.

"Fine, deal." I rolled my shoulders. "For now, we might as well get started."

He tilted his head. "On…?"

"Training."

Mario blinked in confusion as I went back into the bedroom and scooped up the golden book. Walking back out, I showed it to him as he nodded.

"I could probably use more practice on those myself, since…oh."

"Oh?"

"Uh…we can talk about that later too," he mumbled. "It's…good and bad news."

"Ah." I shrugged. "Well, we definitely don't have time to mope, so, let's get going."

Mario smiled as we walked from the hallway upstairs and made our way down the steps.

… … … … …

[Mario]

Bowser escorted us down to the lower levels, and into a room that I don't recall visiting. Perhaps even one that was previous off-limits, if I'm not mistaken. Inside was a training field, with practice targets lined around the floor and walls. Nearest to the door was a plethora of weapons to be selected from.

Flipping through his text, Bowser wandered over to a nearby bench, quietly mouthing words, maybe incantations on the page. On the field, a group of Bob-ombs marched around, while King Bob-omb stood in front of them, issuing tactics and drill formations.

"Come on now, boys," King Bob-omb directed, "flower formation to start, spread out into star formation, and then blast away!"

The bombs marched around in their circular pattern and swarmed some targets on the field. Spreading into a star-shape, they expanded their range. However, one tripped and tipped over, while two more crashed into each other and exploded prematurely. Several others were in position, but failed to detonate, and at least two more failed to destroy their target. King Bob-omb sighed and held his hand over his face.

"This is a fine embarrassment, that's for certain," called King Bob-omb. "Imagine if Lord Bowser were here to see that! Why, if he was right along the sidelines, and he…he…" King Bob-omb's white eyes almost seemed to widen as he spotted Bowser and I by the bench. Bowser waved without really looking away from his book. "Stars above, boys! You disgraced your king with that performance. Back at it, from the top!"

Hopping around and recollecting themselves, the Bob-ombs hurriedly scrambled around the field and started from what I imagined was their first formation, fittingly shaped like a bomb. Their leader marched along the side, and ambled over to Bowser and I. Even with his giant white mustache nicely combed, his weary eyes revealed this hadn't been going well for a little while.

"My apologies that you bore witness to that atrocious mess, King Bowser." King Bob-omb bowed a bit lowered his eyes. "These boys are strong and willing to serve you to their utmost, but we still have refinement needed for them to reach their proper potential."

"Yeah, that's fine," murmured Bowser. King Bob-omb blinked and glanced up, while I nudged Bowser's side. "Ow, what?" He shot an eyebrow up at me as I pointed to King Bob-omb, as Bowser snapped his book closed. "Ah, uh. Right, well…" Bowser shrugged. "I'm sure you've got a good handle on them. The Bob-ombs have been one of my most loyal factions, so, I'm sure I can rely on your best efforts with fortifying our defenses."

"Absolutely, sire!" King Bob-omb saluted him. "We'll blast away any that dare to consider invading this castle! Why, they'll be lucky they even grace the halls, no, the moat outside, let alone venture any further!"

"It's probably best to have close quarters counter measures prepared as well," advised Bowser. "I know you like to take down enemies with blasts and bursts, but I'm imagining invading forces will break past us to get within the castle walls." Bowser scratched the side of his head. "Might want to make sure Parabombs are prepared to rain down along the outside and get your soldiers ready for tight corners inside."

"Brilliant strategizing, but do you think they'll get that far?"

"If we lose the Sky fortress, then yes, they'll descend right down to the doorstep," pointed out Bowser. "Remember though, we only want to subdue them." He glanced at me and then down to his feet. "We've made enough messes to deal with for a while."

"I'll make certain that their blasts prioritize control over power," agreed King Bob-omb. He turned to me and almost seemed to smile. "Only if they don't surrender willingly, of course!"

"That's…not likely."

"Are you certain?" King Bob-omb placed his hands…I suppose that spot would be his hips. "From what I've heard, you're rather persuasive of a force yourself!" He turned to Bowser, eying him with delight. "After all, you won over a whole king, and that's no easy feat!"

"We were mutually attracted to one another, that's completely different," retorted Bowser, blushing as he looked away from his teasing subordinate.

"Ah, don't underestimate the charm of your boyfriend," prodded King Bob-omb. He bounced up a bit and waved his hand. "Oh, and the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, no less!" He winked to me. "If anyone can end this with grace and tidiness, you may as well be the one."

"Um…I'm not known for the cleanest efforts," I admitted.

"No, you've usually got a full display of strength, that's for certain." He rubbed his backside and chuckled. "I certainly still remember getting lobbed around some years ago, let me tell you!" King Bob-omb shook his head…or, uh, himself. "But I have kept up with reviewing your efforts, however, and I do understand that you're trying your best for everyone, now more than ever. That's certainly praiseworthy."

"Thank you." I checked around the room, but tugged a bit on the ends of my mustache. "Aren't you missing someone…?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean the Whomp King himself!" King Bob-omb laughed. "He's busy fortifying defenses outside, of the walls themselves. Trying to make sure things stay together and whatnot."

"Gotcha."

"Actually your soldiers might need a bit of a break," observed Bowser, and he pointed at the Bob-ombs breaking formations again. King Bob-omb deflated as his crown slid forward a bit, before he pushed it back into place. "Mario and I were looking to practice a little bit for ourselves, so now might be a good time to trade places."

"Of course, excellent idea! And…probably much needed." King Bob-omb marched back toward his troops. "Boys, come now, that's enough! Take five, or even ten. But first, get this field reset and ready for King Bowser and Mario to make their rounds! And no slacking off outright; we've got more work to do later! Prince Bully and the Bullies will be joining in later, so we'll need to work hard all the while!"

All of the Bob-ombs scrambled first to attention, and hurried around on King Bob-omb's orders. Seeing how well they organize was impressive enough, never mind how well they quickly cleaned things up. Even without any hands…well, King Bob-omb handled whatever they couldn't pick up together, but it was no less remarkable of efforts on their part. Finishing up with tossing away broken targets and placing down new ones, they scrambled away, some off to the sides near us, and others exiting the room entirely.

Bowser stood up and made his way past the weapons, over to a cabinet on the wall. He tugged a key out and opened it up, revealing several Power-Ups within. My eyes widened to see Fire, Ice, Cloud, and Boomerang Flowers on one shelf, Penguin, Hammer, and Frog Suits lined over another, Super Bells, Leaves, and Acorns atop one more, and the last holding Propeller Mushrooms, Cape Feathers, and Double Cherries. He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at my mouth dropping open.

"See something you like?"

"Where did you get all of these?" I shook my head; it's not too much, but it's definitely a sizable collection.

"You're not the only one that hunts Power-Ups along your adventures," he quipped. "We use them less often since we train with other weapons and powers, but I keep a stock of these around for specific situations." He folded his arms and thought for a moment. "And to help strengthen some of the soldiers too, when the reactions are normal."

"Is that how you make Koopas into Hammer Bros. and more?"

"Not exactly, though this can help fast track some of them," he divulged.

"Couldn't your forces have crushed me time and again with this kind of armory?" I checked over at the spears and hammers lined by the door. "All I was thinking of were those, but these should help you overwhelm us all the time."

"Wow. You really don't give yourself a lot of credit for the outstanding acrobatics you pull, huh?" He grinned while I tugged my cap down, blushing. "Honestly, I can't think of how many times I assumed our armies were well prepared, only to be bested by you jumping over them and racing from one area to the next."

"Sometimes moving quickly is the most confounding strategy," I suggested.

"Noted." He shook his head, reaching inside and plucking up an Ice Flower, twirling it in his fingers. "But really, it's not always easy to use these things. Some minions get a little too excited with gaining powers and they're not easy to control. So, I make sure they know what they're doing before giving them access." He placed the Ice Flower back in and took out a Super Leaf. "After all, these have magic imbued in them, like the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom, so, it's best to be cautious outside of combative scenarios."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, these aren't exactly the most common of commodities across the kingdom," Bowser elaborated. "We don't have full understandings over these kinds of powerful items, and sometimes they trigger in weird ways that may seem wasteful."

Almost as if on cue, the Super Leaf in his hand lit in a soft glow and flashed over us. I lifted my arm to block the soft burst, and slowly lowered it to find Bowser with raccoon ears and a matching tail. He lowered his eyes and sighed while I stifled my laughter.

"Like that, in fact." He shook his head. "I don't even know what I did wrong. Tight grip? Specific words? Held on for too long?" Bowser shrugged. "This stuff works weird."

"But now you're extra adorable!" I grinned as he chuckled.

"Ah, I guess? As long as you think so." His new ears twitched and he twisted around to swing his tail. "At least it covered up my tail this time, instead of giving me two tails. That happens a lot."

"This makes you look like those False Bowser soldiers."

"Ha, yeah. Those tail fakers are pretty weird too." Bowser checked around and looked along the rest of the armory. "We should have those awkward Goomba Shoes around here. Those are definitely among the strangest stuff."

"So, what exactly are we looking to do with training?"

"Huh? Oh, I figured we could practice magic against Power-Ups." He lifted his book back up and waved it a bit. "I want to see how well I can actually use these spells, and I think it'd make sense for you to get a better understanding of how they relate to the kingdom's magic too." Bowser studied the book for a moment and rubbed his chin. "I was thinking we'd take turns between magic and Power-Ups, see what else you can do. Maybe you can learn different kinds of magic past the Natural stuff…?"

"Wait, more magic?"

"Yeah, it makes sense. I think Merlon was going over how to test your full extent of magical prowess, but it doesn't mean we can't try it on our own." He tugged his wand out and looked at the rod, tracing up to the scepter's head. "Come to think of it, I don't usually use a lot of magic without this, but…I'm going to try without it for this time." Bowser gestured to the cabinet. "Anyway, pick my poison to use."

"Well, I don't want to hurt you."

"We're not exactly fighting each other, just making obstacles. I don't need you to actually thrash me." He winked at me as he wiggled his tail. "Unless you really want to."

"Do you not have an off-switch for that?"

"Much like you with heroics, no I do not." He beamed as the raccoon ears twitched. "Don't act like you don't love it."

"Oh, I do." I stuck my tongue out at him. "It's just impressive how into me you are."

"Did you not figure it out after all this time yet?" Bowser lowered his eyes, snorting out a little steam. "Maybe I need to be more obvious."

"Feel free."

While I went to browse through the Power-Up cabinet, Bowser stood close behind me. After a moment, his hands touched down on my shoulders and massaged at them. Leaning into him, I tried to focus on choosing between a Flower and a Suit, but Bowser rubbing me was winning out. His body vibrated with his chuckling, and he leaned closer down by my ear, with his breath hot on my skin.

"Just so you know, I could do this all day…"

"Uh-huh."

"Seems like you want that too."

"If we had all of the time in the world, maybe…"

"Didn't you learn about manipulating time?"

"Not like that."

"Hmm…something else to learn more about, then…"

"Doubtful that has a good trade-off."

"Only one way to find out."

"Another day, and one very far off."

"Boo."

Easing up on his massage, I pried myself from Bowser and reached up to grab a Cape Feather from the cabinet. Raising an eyebrow at my choice, Bowser tilted his head as I reached up and took a Boomerang Flower as well. Tucking both into my overalls, he blinked as I folded my arms behind my head.

"Offense and defense strategies," I offered. "You might recall that the Cape can deflect a good number of projectiles along with flight. And Boomerangs will give us something different to mix in over adding fire and ice."

"Smart."

"I have my moments."

"Come on, then, let's see what we can do." Bowser flipped his book open and skimmed through it as he strolled onto the practice field. "This stuff is a little trickier than you'd imagine…"

"Then we don't need to go all out or anything," I suggested as he nodded. "Just…try these in small doses."

Taking my place opposite to him and between some practice targets, I waited as he flipped skimmed the book. Bowser snapped it shut and glared ahead at me. I crouched down into a readied stance, waiting to see what he'd come up with.

Tracing at the air, sparks crackled from Bowser's claw, and wavy lines of light materialized. His eyes twitched as he winced from the motions, his arm trembling as a shape of a crooked, sloppy square formed before him. I waited as he pulled his arm back, shaking his hand, and the light before him dissipated. Bowser's raccoon ears lowered and slowly disappeared while he flexed his hand, glaring at it.

"Don't push yourself too much right away," I called.

Blinking, he lifted his head and nodded to me, smiling as he eased off on himself. Keeping his attention on me, light crackled from his fingertips, as he quickly traced the space before him again, a steady stream of light neatly following his motions.

Almost entirely contrary to his last attempt, he crafted a perfect rectangle, and a beam of reflective light formed within the space. My mouth parted as he pulled his hand back, gawking at construct himself.

"Can you see this?!"

"That was great!"

"Right?!"

There was something so pure about his joy, his sheer delight, and I loved to see how brilliant his beam got. Waving the barrier aside, he tried to shape a new one, in a circular shape this time, but his tracing was wobbly and I could make out beads of sweat sliding from his brow.

"Easy, you're going too hard again," I reminded him. "Just take your time, and you'll get there." Breaking his focus, he waved his hand around, growling at it. "Remember, I wasn't that great back on Star Hill, not at first." Lowering his shoulders, Bowser stared across at me. There was this sparkle in his eyes that picked up. "My mistake was the same, pushing too much and trying to get myself ready too quickly. So, let it flow smoothly, but don't rush or force it out."

"Brought you to a magical mountain, got you a few good lessons, and now you're the magical expert," Bowser teased.

"Sorry."

"No, no, you've got great advice," he insisted, smiling at me. "It's actually a lot easier following your instruction than…" Bowser clamped his mouth shut and tightened his fist.

"Bowser?"

"My bad." He shook his head and gazed across to me again. "Anyway, you are right."

"Good, and you've got this." I lifted a thumb up to him. "So, give it another shot! I know you can do it."

Confidently nodding to me, Bowser pulled his arm back. His eyes lowered as he observed me from across the field, and traced a circle shape before him. Like the rectangular construct, it developed better than his first attempt.

Rapidly, Bowser traced another circle, and quickly followed with another. A few light bubbles formed in the air before him, and he laughed as he went. Peeking past them, Bowser grinned as I watched him, and he flicked his finger to cast them aside. I clapped as they floated off, and he bowed.

"You're getting that quickly!"

"Thanks, but…I don't know if it's all me."

"What do you mean?" I lowered my hands and tilted my head. "All of those motions, that's entirely you, your effort!"

"Sure, I'm making this stuff, but…" Bowser shifted as his gaze locked onto me again. "The thing with using Light spells is that, when you're starting out, it's easier to generate when you've got clear thoughts in your head."

"And you're doing that, aren't you?"

"Somewhat, but that's because I'm thinking about what gives me, uh, good vibes?"

"Which is…?"

Chuckling, Bowser held eye contact with me, as he traced a heart shape before him. It was even brighter than his other constructs, and sparkled, glistening as he closed it and flicked it overhead. Pulling his hand back in a waving motion, he stretched out the heart, making it larger and helping it solidify better. I watched the dazzling spell soar over us, and slowly brought my attention back to Bowser, as he smiled to me.

"So, uh…I don't think I can actually do that without you," he confessed through his blush.

"That's really sweet, Bowser." My lips curved up on my burning face as I grinned to him. "You really don't have an off-switch for romance at all, huh?"

"Nope."

"Adorable!"

"Ha, I guess I've got you won over entirely." He blew a kiss out, with glittering dust flowing from his hand. Jerking back, Bowser closed his hand and stared as the shimmering bits cascaded away. "Uh…that's…wow." A nervous laugh escaped him. "I don't even know how that worked."

"Incredible anyway!"

"Tell me about it." His smile faded though, and he glanced down at his book. "Um. But, I, uh, I've got to use other kinds of spells too. Stuff with offense, probably…"

"Ok." I tugged the Cape Feather out. "Then let's give that a shot!"

"Right…"

Frowning as my yellow cape materialized, Bowser shook his head and studied the book's pages. Placing it down, he lifted his hands together before him. He focused hard, grunting as light sparked in the space between his fingertips, but it fizzled and he waved his hands.

"Hang on…"

Bowser flexed his fingers one by one, still trying to follow the book's instructions beneath him. Inhaling, then exhaling, Bowser lifted his hands out again, and narrowed his eyes. The light formed again, but flickered as he struggled to hold it.

As I opened my mouth for encouragement, something hard smacked me over the head. I fumbled back and held tightly on my head, clutching at it as my cape draped over my arm. Looking down, I watched a lone Bob-omb that rolled near me. Blinking, the bomb hopped up and hurried off.

Pivoting back around, I hurriedly whipped my cape up and smacked the next Bob-omb away, barely knocking it from crashing into me. Swinging my cape away from me, I watched as King Bob-omb lifted two more of his Bob-omb soldiers up in each of his hands.

"What are you doing?!"

"Helping!" His tone was oddly cheerful to my panicked questioning.

"How?!"

"Like this!"

Throwing another one, my eyes widened as the next Bob-omb lit a fuse. Waving my cape to knock him away, I scrambled aside as more Bob-ombs sailed through the air.

"Hey!" I twisted around at Bowser's barking. "Quit that! You're distracting him!"

"No, sire, I'm attacking him!"

"You're what?!"

Growling, a heavier surge of light crackled and burst between Bowser's hands, still in the concentrated stance. He blinked and smirked, forcing his palms forward, and sending the light orb flying across as King Bob-omb.

Tumbling aside from the attack, King Bob-omb laughed, juggling his minions about.

"Not bad, Lord Bowser, but you'll need to do one better than that!"

Bowling one Bob-omb low, still aiming at me, King Bob-omb hurriedly tossed two more through the air. There wasn't any easy way for me to deflect so many of those at once.

But I didn't have to, as light projectiles blasted each Bob-omb out of place and stopping them from even reaching me. Turning around, I watched as Bowser heaved and panted as his arms dropped with his weight, brushing sweat from his head and focusing ahead on me.

"Excellent work!" King Bob-omb laughed again, clapping for Bowser. "That overprotective phase is paying off handsomely for you, that's certain!"

"King Bob-omb…you're a…maniac," Bowser managed.

"A maniac that gets results," insisted King Bob-omb.

"Sure, fine." Bowser cleared his throat and forced himself upright. "Ok, let's move on. Mario, use that Boomerang Flower."

"Now? Why?"

"You're going to make for attacking me," instructed Bowser, "but I'm going to block them with barriers."

"Shouldn't you take a break?"

"After I try this," persisted Bowser.

Though I hesitated, and I really didn't think it was the best idea, I tugged out the Boomerang Flower next. He wouldn't relent until he tried, I'm sure of that. My cape faded away as the Boomerang Flower flashed around me. A blue shell appeared over my body, with a helmet over my head. Generating a red boomerang before me, I grasped at it, and pulled it back.

"That is endlessly hot," gushed Bowser. He clamped his hands over his mouth and groaned. Muffled, he added, "Ignore me…"

"This is endlessly entertaining to listen to," joked King Bob-omb.

"You're not ignoring me!"

"How else can I capitalize on such cuteness?"

"Are we training, flirting, or teasing?" I broke my stance and lowered my arm. "I have to admit, it's going in every direction."

"In Bowser's Castle, we do it all," carried on King Bob-omb, still chuckling. "Especially at once."

"He's not wrong," concurred Bowser.

Shaking my head, I reared back with the boomerang, aiming at Bowser and the target nearest him. Lowering my arm, I snapped my fingers.

"Oh, better idea!"

"Huh?"

"Instead of me attacking you, I'll attack the targets," I decided. "That way, you can still make an effort to defending someone, and I don't have to worry about hurting you from these attacks."

"Ha, well…I've been doing better work with spells while thinking of you and helping you, so that makes sense." Bowser nodded. "Ok, you attack those, and I'll defend them. Probably better than you potentially clocking me in the head."

"Exactly!"

"Still think you worry too much, but that is sweet," admitted Bowser.

"You two are so cute!"

"Go back to quiet observations, King Bob-omb."

"No!"

Sighing, Bowser rolled his eyes and slumped a little. He picked himself up and lifted his fists. Pulling back with the boomerang, I tossed forward, as it spun around for the practice target.

Tracing quickly through the air, Bowser fumbled about with his light barrier, and pushed it ahead at the boomerang. It shattered upon impact and he fumbled back as he winced from the attack.

Following up, I tossed out another, blue boomerang, which came from the opposite side. Bowser tried to craft another barrier, but it was weaker and broke apart from the boomerang spinning through it. The target was smacked and knocked to the ground.

One of my boomerangs came back, and I grabbed at it, and lowered my hand. Bowser snorted and forced his arms back up.

"Don't let up," he ordered. "Keep at me."

Nodding, I spun the red boomerang ahead, catching the returning blue one. Though Bowser tried to create a new barrier, it didn't materialize. His arms dropped as the next target was knocked over, falling by his feet.

"Um…ok, maybe I could use a break," relented Bowser, arms still dangling. "You want to give it a go?"

"I suppose I should try."

Walking over to him, I grabbed at the red boomerang while Bowser scooped up his book. He flipped through the pages and lifted it up, handing it to me.

"Read it over a little bit, and we'll try something a little simpler for you." As I took the book, he walked over for the cabinet. "Let me go see what I can find to use…"

Opening his book, I read through the pages, looking at . Similar to what Merlon had taught me, there were hand motions that could help weave Light spells, though as Bowser had demonstrated, they were also linked with emotions, perhaps more than Natural spells were. Feeling positive emotions allowed for generation, creation of constructs and barriers. Negative ones could unleash powerful attacks. Specific behaviors allowed for both to mix one way or another as well. Higher levels allowed these emotions to be less in control of the spells, even outright left out, although this would wear down on the user. Not every spell would need them, though they enhanced many that could.

Probably should use something that isn't too reliant on emotions for practice, since I don't want anything too powerful, I considered. Hmm…bunch of light triangles stacked together…something about balancing wisdom, courage, and power, what? No…what about…this one, crafting a path of—

"Oh, come on!"

A bright flash blazed from Bowser's direction, and I jerked my head up from the book. Too bright of a light was glowing, and I held the book in front of me to block some of it.

As it faded, I lowered the text, only to find that Bowser had taken on his feline form, Meowser. Orange fur with black stripes replaced or covered his scales, and a mix of deep red and white hair instead of his brighter red. Cat ears replaced his horns, unlike with the raccoon ears, and his snout gained both a little cat nose and whiskers to complete the look. He growled and hissed at the sight of himself, glaring down at his cat paws.

"Stupid Super Bell!" Meowser groaned. "I barely touched the damn thing!" King Bob-omb erupted in laughter, as the hair stood up on Bowser and he hissed at him.

"Well, you've found another cute form for me to enjoy," I teased. "You're trying really hard for me, huh?"

"Hush up, it's not on purpose!" Meowser blushed as his tail curled around his legs. "This is such a waste…"

"Promise to give you belly rubs if you won't scratch me," I mocked. It was irresistible.

"Don't even think about it! Never touch the belly!" Hesitating for a moment, Meowser softened. "…Ok, wait, maybe that might be nice." He perked up a bit. "Oh, actually, there's this spot right over my tail, and if you happen to rub right over there, that would be great!" I snorted and cackled as he swished his tail around, but then spun back around. "Hey, don't laugh! It's a hard spot to get, and it feels really great!"

"Sure, sure, I'll get it in a bit." I waited as he blinked.

"…Ugh, what am I even going on about?!" He smacked his paws over his head. "Ow!" I gathered that the claws dug in a bit too much, as he quickly tugged them off. "Oh, this blasted…!"

"Want me to dig up some catnip?"

"Shut up!"

Rushing forward on all fours, he skidded across from me. Lifting himself back up, Meowser swiped at the air, claws out.

"Even if I look ridiculous, I'm not going to take it too easy on you!"

"But I don't want to hit you personally with these spells," I reminded him. "So that form really is useless for this."

Blinking, Meowser rolled his eyes up and groaned. He flopped down and sighed.

"Did you want to fight me directly?"

"No…" Meowser scratched at the ground. "But this really is a massive waste."

"It looks like you still have some Super Bells in there," I pointed out, noticing a few still inside the cabinet.

"Not that many."

"Well, what's done is done, so…" I shrugged. "Ready when you are."

"Give me a second, I…" He coughed and then hacked out a heavy pink fireball, which blasted on the wall. "…That's disgusting…"

"A fireball hairball?"

"Don't emphasize it; this is a total mess!"

"Hmm…"

Rotating my hand around and waving my fingers as I did, I gathered up a small rush of Light magic. Pulling from that dust, I weaved a line out with my other hand, and scooped at it with my finger. Quickly, I traced a circle in the air, and then hurriedly followed it with a square. Pushing the construct out before me, I smiled as it floated forward, and Meowser gawked at it.

"…How did you get that so quickly…?"

"Luck, I guess?" I shrugged, batting the sparkling dust away. "It's a simple spell, you already used it, and we went over how they work too, so, I had it easier."

"But that's still really impressive," complimented Meowser. He chuckled and folded his arms. "Figures that you'd pick up on it faster…"

"Sorry."

"No, don't be!" He waved his paws around. "It's great that you're adapting!" Meowser sighed. "Light magic and I never mixed well…though these Power-Ups suggest otherwise, I guess."

"Power-Ups are based on Light magic?"

"Light and Dark magic, plus some elements from Natural magic, yeah," elucidated Meowser. "Base form for a lot of them is powered by Natural elements, transformative properties come from the mixture between Light and Dark, as the Dark magic casts the transformative properties, and the Light part creates the new forms that we take on." He scratched at his ear a bit. "The Power-Ups from the Mushroom Kingdom are basically the combination of spells in harmony."

"Nobody ever told me about that," I murmured in awe.

"It's not exactly common knowledge, and it doesn't really come up much in casual conversation." Meowser snorted. "Hell, I don't think about it much, and it's easy to forget whenever you're not working on magic training."

"Makes sense…"

"Here, try to deflect a fireball." He lowered his eyes as I opened my mouth and deadpanned, "Not a 'fireball hairball,' don't call it that."

Chuckling as he inhaled, I braced myself while Meowser spat out a larger pink fireball. Waving my hand around in an arching pattern, I reached over to the Light beams gathered and waved them overhead. A rainbow pattern appeared as I pulled my arm around, waving around and guiding the arc from below to upward again.

The rainbow light followed my motions, and burst out before me, blasting through the fireball. It surged forth and blasted Meowser away, knocking him back.

"Wait, what?!" I raced forward. "That wasn't supposed to happen! Bowser, are you ok?!"

Rolling up from the ground and sitting upright, Bowser shook his head. He blinked down at his claws, noticing the missing cat paws, and reached up to feel his horns. Sighing in relief, he relaxed as he closed his eyes and deflated.

"Absolute waste on my part, but good to be back to normal," he determined. Opening his eyes, Bowser smiled at me. "The heck was that, anyway?"

"Rainbow light?" I shrugged. "I barely read over the motions for it, and I didn't even think that would work—"

"How'd you do it?" Bowser lifted his hands. "Just kind of…make this arc motion…?"

"Like an actual rainbow, yeah." I rubbed behind my head. "I was thinking about you while I did it, so I guess that helped, but it wasn't supposed to do that." My head dropped. "I was just trying to make a light path to disrupt the fire, not attack."

"Maybe that's just how it works; I didn't see that one when I was reading," murmured Bowser. He waved his hands around like I had before, and then cast his crafted light overhead. "Huh…that's pretty and cute…and now…"

Bowser rolled his arm around and arced it up. The rainbow beam surged as it followed his path and blasted into the wall, breaking the bricks and blasting a sparkling crater into it. We gawked as we stared at it, and Bowser dropped his arms while I clasped mine over my head.

"It's like an aurora beam!"

"That's got to be the gayest attack ever," decided Bowser. I stared ahead as I dropped my arms, and slowly turned as I lowered my eyes on his grinning face. "I absolutely love it."

"No."

"Come on, it's a powerful rainbow blast that gets super charged when we think of one another," pointed out Bowser. "Just think! The Gay Attack."

"Stop."

"Prideful Puncture. No, no, Rainbow Rush!"

"Are you done?"

"Give me a good few minutes, and I'll make a whole list."

"You are definitely your son's father."

"Ooh, great idea!" Bowser squeezed his hands together with a toothy grin. "Junior will come up with great brainstorms for this!"

"We're not having your son come up with…oh, forget it."

"May I suggest one?" Bowser and I looked around to King Bob-omb. "I liked Rainbow Rush, but what about Rainbow Road? Because that looked like a rainbow trail, and it races forward, so it's evocative of the racetracks."

"That's actually not a bad idea," decided Bowser. "Doable, I think." He cackled to himself. "Maybe we'll call it the Rainbow Ribbon, and then enemies will think that it's harmless, but then bam!" He smacked his fist into his palm for emphasis and chuckled. "Deceptively brilliant."

"We're never using it again."

"What?! No way, it's too amazing!"

"And super powerful to boot," chimed in King Bob-omb. "Explosive, even!"

"Thank you, King! You're my new favorite." Bowser grinned at me. "See, our gay friend agrees."

"Never again ever."

"Aw, please?" Bowser grabbed at my arm. "Come on, it's so cute too! You never know, we could combine our beams together, and make a superstar rainbow beam!" He snapped his fingers. "Oh, I've got it! A combined attack between you and me, using that rainbow light, we can call it…uh…ah!" Another snap. "The Bowsario Beam!"

"…Bowsario?"

"Yeah! Bowser plus Mario equals Bowsario!" He beamed to me. "Cute, right?"

"…We're done here."

"How can you not agree with me on this?!" Bowser hopped up as I spun around to walk out. "This is the greatest discovery, and we have the best possible combination powers! I know we can work well together, yet you don't even want to!"

"Maybe we can talk about it later or something, I don't know…"

"This is a couples' test, and we're determining our worth—"

"You're being way too dramatic."

"And you're being so dismissive! Honestly, this is so…hey, wait a minute." Bowser leaned over in front of my face. "You're smiling too!"

"Am not."

"Admit it, you absolutely agree with me!"

"Nope."

"Yes you do, I knew it!"

"We're not calling it that in public."

"Just wait, everyone will love it!"

"Everyone will loathe it outright."

"King?"

"Love it, sire!"

"I rest my case."

Shaking my head, I walked for the door and pushed it open, wandering out as King Bob-omb waved. Bowser hurried after me, wrapping his arms around my waist. Turning around, I opened my mouth, but he pressed his lips against mine, and whatever arguments we had over that nonsense disappeared between us.

His lips pushed against mine and I opened my mouth for him; our refreshed flavors from earlier had faded, but his taste was still intoxicating, enticing enough. Laughter vibrated from him as he ran his tongue over mine, pulling it past his lips. I traced them a bit and slid into his mouth, lightly tapping on his tongue.

He definitely knew how to win me over.

"Um. Lord Bowser…?"

And his subjects knew how to ruin the mood.

Our lips popped from one another, as we pulled apart. We blushed and Bowser scowled as Prince Bully and his Bully gang waited just a few feet down the hall, perhaps having halted after rounding the corner.

"Bully, please don't make me explain kissing to you," grumbled Bowser.

"Oh, no, I know what kissing is," assured Prince Bully.

"Amazing."

"Actually, I don't!" One of the dark blue Bullies behind their leader bounced. "Is that what pushing lips together is called? We don't even have those!"

"Stars, help me," mumbled Bowser, burying his face in his hands.

"Was there anything you needed, Prince Bully?" I had to cut in before Bowser started bashing his head against the walls next.

"Just wanted to make sure that King Bob-omb was still inside for training practice, since we're supposed to help them with defensive measures and they're going to work on offense with us."

"Yep, they're still in there." I pointed back behind me. "They even helped us with practicing magic spells too."

"You guys do magic?!"

"Wow, King Bowser, that's so cool!"

"No wonder Mario is so strong!"

"Uh…ok, ok!" Prince Bully hopped up and down a bit. "Lord Bowser and Mario probably have other stuff to do, so…everyone get inside, and we'll get started in a bit."

"Yes, sir!"

"Got it, Prince!"

The Bully bunch charged past us, and they slammed open the door. A few blasts rang out from within, likely from shocked Bob-ombs. Bowser placed his hand on his hip while I slowly shook my head. Prince Bully ambled over to peek inside, and pivoted to us.

"Sorry to interrupt, Lord Bowser." Prince Bully bowed a bit. "We were just on our way to training with King Bob-omb after we learned about the Seaside Market."

"Seaside what?"

"Oh, I know about that!" I grinned as Bowser turned to me. "It's a gathering of trade that some collectors use to make a hefty profit." He lifted an eyebrow while I folded my arms behind my neck. "Depending on the events that go on, it can be something small from merchants in the Mushroom Kingdom to visitors that come from far and wide." I leaned back and glanced up at the dark stone ceiling. "They've got chefs who bring food, decorative goods sellers that tend to specialize in seashells, explorers that gather treasures, and even performers show up for shows. It's all pretty fun." My attention returned to Bowser and I smiled to him. "In fact, I might even want to make that my date for you, since I do owe you one."

"That does sound pretty cute," agreed Prince Bully.

"Well…I want to agree, but…" Bowser clawed through his hair. "You do realize that you're going to be blacklisted for events like this as I am, right?"

"…Huh. You're right." The reminder may as well have been a punch to my gut, and I sank down. "If we go, then we're only going to see how unwanted we are."

"Exactly." He rested his hand on my shoulder. "It sounded like a fun time, but I'm pretty used to being a party crasher over a guest, so…nothing we'll miss out on. But, since you're thinking of dates, I'll give you a chance to come up with something else!"

Bowser forced up a smile, but it didn't help much. This wasn't a massive Mushroom Kingdom event, but not even being allowed to attend a simple function because of who I am…or who I'm with, for that matter…that's just unfair. My fists tightened.

"Mario?" I blinked as Bowser waved his hand in front of me. "You know, I can help you pick a few places that we could go to without dealing with too many folks that won't want to see us."

"No."

"Uh, no?"

"We're going to the Seaside Market."

"Did you hear the part where I warned you about how terrible of an idea that is?" Bowser folded his arms. "At best, people will be afraid of you, of us. At worst, they'll ignore Peach's orders and actually try attacking us." He sighed and frowned at me, a pleading sorrow in his eyes. "Do you really want to deal with that?"

"Not at all, but you know what?" I lifted my cap to adjust it. "If we just stay around in this territory, we're never going breathe properly."

"Been doing that for…uh…" He rubbed behind his neck. "I guess all of my life, more or less."

"Then we're definitely going."

"Even though we know how it's going to end?"

"Yes." I lowered my hand to my hip. "We have to at least try, Bowser, or nothing changes."

"He does have a point, Lord Bowser," chimed in Prince Bully. I smiled, rather enjoying his agreeable responses.

"You're not going to let this go until I agree, are you?" Bowser watched as I nodded, and he deeply exhaled. "…I still don't know…"

"Well, if we don't go, then my last terrible memory of Seaside would be you beating up my friends and kidnapping me," I reminded him. Bowser bit his lip as Prince Bully blinked in confusion.

"Wait, what happened?"

"Fine, if only to give you something worse to contend with than my weaker moments," decided Bowser. "We'll regret it later, but we might as well." He raised an eyebrow and scratched his chin. "…You're getting a little too good at manipulating me to do your bidding."

"Whenever necessary," I joked with a shrug.

"Let me just go check on Junior, and then we'll go."

"Sure thing."

"Good." Bowser returned his attention to Prince Bully. "Don't you have minions to train?"

"Do I—wait, of course!" Prince Bully hurried for the training room. "I'm off to do just that! Good luck, Lord Bowser and Mario!" He halted in place and twisted back to us. "Actually, is that Lords Bowser and Mario? Should I be using proper titles for Mario, or do I just call him as is, and do I refer to him with you, Lord Bowser, or should I—?"

"Training," uttered Bowser. "Now."

"R-right! Bye!"

Prince Bully hurried into the room, and Bowser sighed as he massaged his temples. I rested my hand on his arm, offering a sympathetic smile to him, earning one back in return. Going to Seaside, tempting fate against us…I'm sure it was a bad idea. But, at the same time, I don't want to feel like we can't go anywhere. We should be able to at least exist, even if people are encouraged away from us, right? …Or maybe I'm pushing this too much, like Bowser imagined.

Still, I took his hand into mine, and we made our way back upstairs. His tight grip in mine was reassuring enough.

… … … … …

[Bowser]

Since Mario wanted to get to this market event for our date tonight, I decided that I could go digging for something to help with fast traveling. Taking him up to one of the middle levels of the castle, on the eastern wing, I checked through the doors for one of the storage rooms. Considering that they're usually used to dump old treasures and past items into, I don't frequent them, but I had an idea of something that could be useful.

The room that I was looking for would be…past soldiers' barracks, down the corridor with their bathrooms, up the set of steps, another right and a left, not too far from the eastern armory, and…ah, the one past the gallery. Duh.

Placing my hand on the door for the room, I glanced back to Mario, as he held his head, almost as if his eyes were spinning. Chuckling, I pushed on the door, but the gallery's door opened just before I could push in.

"Papa?"

Twisting around, I watched as Junior led Boom Boom and Pom Pom from the other room, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Junior, what are you doing in there?"

"Looking at old pictures and paintings." He pointed at the two behind him. "They wanted to learn more about our family, but there isn't a lot that explains much in there."

"Those are just decorative, son." I jabbed at the door before me. "This side is just to put some older stuff away. You'd probably get more from the library."

"Don't these old pictures depict your family and ancestors?" Boom Boom scratched his head. "They should have more about them here, right?"

"Yes and no." They tilted their heads as I shrugged. "Not everything over here matters as much to our full history."

"Aw, I went the complete wrong way then," mumbled Junior. "Sorry guys."

"No need to apologize, my Prince!" Pom Pom stepped forward and gazed up to me. "Though, I did have some questions regarding that, because I thought I saw a portrait of you while you were younger, but with an older set of Koopas in there with you."

"…Which one?"

"Well, they looked like you—"

"White hair?"

"No."

"Then they're not important," I insisted.

"Wouldn't that make them your parents, Lord Bowser?" Boom Boom dropped his arms as I lowered my eyes to him, to which he sank down a bit. "Uh…is that right or wrong?"

"That's a 'drop it or else,' Boom Boom." Mario elbowed me, and I shot him a glare.

"Is that not something we're supposed to know?" Pom Pom flinched as I twisted back to face her. "We were just…curious and trying to learn more."

"Um, maybe not about that," piped up Junior. "Papa didn't like his dad much."

"Right, that came up before." Of course Mario had to join in. "I've been wondering about it too."

"Pile it on for later's topics, then," I grumbled. "Did you want to go out or not?"

"Going out?" Boom Boom tried to straighten up, but lowered his head as I looked to him. "Uh. Not that it's our business…"

"Mario and I are just…visiting one of the other territories. Briefly."

"Like a date?" Pom Pom touched her cheek as I sighed and nodded. "Oh, that's cute!"

"Well, it's—"

"Hopefully it will be," determined Mario for me.

"If you're going out, then why are you over here?" Joy, it was Junior's turn for questions. "Shouldn't you guys be outside or something? Hey, wait. Won't it take a while to get somewhere else?"

"That's why I'm checking this storage room." Don't lose your temper on your son, don't you do it…

"What for?"

"To find something to help Mario and I get around a bit quicker," I forced out. Rapidly flexing my hands behind my back, I jolted up at Mario gently rubbing my arm. "Ah. It…do any of you know about the Magic Whistles that we had?"

"Weren't those Recorders?" Huh. Wasn't expecting Boom Boom to remember it first, but then again, that made sense.

"More or less, yeah." I shrugged. "I used to call them Warp Whistles, but the names don't matter." I pushed open the storage room's door. "Anyway, in here should be at least one of those."

"What's it do again, Papa?"

"They're used for warping around to various parts of the Mushroom Kingdom," I expanded. "Or, that's what they were meant for. Only a handful ended up working properly, and they were kept in chests that somebody else got into." I eyed Mario as he rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"So, with those, we could travel anywhere?" Junior tapped on his chin. "I thought that we had magic spells for that."

"Right, but that kind of magic is limited, son," I reminded him. "The more people that you travel with, the longer it takes to use a spell like that again."

"Oh."

"The Magic Whistle, uh, Recorders were supposed to take you wherever without being as limiting," I continued, dragging my hand through my hair. "Magikoopa worked on them over decades for us, but none of them were successful with improving the usual ways of travel, and they stopped working after using them once, or most did." I poked my head in the room and glanced at the desks and boxes within. "Only one Magikoopa made Whistles that worked more than once, but even he couldn't make that many of them."

"Was that Kamek?" Bringing my head back out, I nodded to Junior. "He does everything."

"It certainly feels that way…" That murmur was even quieter than I wanted.

"So, how many did he make?"

"Not a lot, and I know only one should be in this room, since it was an old workshop for him." I lowered my arm from the doorframe. "There was originally a second one in here, but someone used that ages ago, and…well, that's not a great story."

"Was it you?"

"No, that was back when I was too young to do…well, much of anything."

"Then that means…" Junior quieted himself for a moment. He looked through the doorway at the old room. "They're not very useful though, are they?"

"Compared to everything else we have nowadays, they've become pretty antiquated, or uh, really old," I reasoned. "Hence why I'm using this one for the date."

"Would they work to move around the castle?"

"Huh?" I raised my eyebrow at him again. "Why would that matter?"

"Um, well, they don't sound very useful, but I figured that could be a helpful way to make them better," suggested Junior, but his tone…was he hiding something? From me? …Nah, just play stupid; it can't be that big of a deal.

"They don't quite work like that," I enlightened. "The whole purpose is traveling elsewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Doesn't seem too useful anymore," determined Junior. He spun around. "Come on, guys, let's go to the library."

"Shouldn't we help your father, my Prince?"

"Nah, he and Mario can find it without us distracting him more, and then they can be with each other more," insisted Junior and my face burned. "Come on, let's go!"

He hurried off as Pom Pom ran after him, and Boom Boom flailed around chasing her. While I watched them race off, Mario poked at my stomach, and I whirled my head down to him.

"Your son apparently approves of our alone time," Mario teased with a smirk.

"Yeah, cheeky little kid," I mumbled. "Wonder where he gets it from."

"Couldn't imagine." He peeked past me and into the room. "Shall we?"

"Sure, but it shouldn't take too long."

Ambling in, I looked at the desk nearby. Some old potion beakers and books were scattered on the top, and at least two drawers were missing from it. Mario wandered over to it and dusted off the labels off the potion jars, while I searched around the bookshelves and boxes below them.

"Beauty Potion, Poison Potion, Memory Potion, wow, there's a lot." Mario glanced at me while I nodded. "Cure Potion, Bane Potion, Warp Potion…Love Potion?"

"None of those really worked," I reassured him. "They're all dried out by now, and virtually useless, but even years ago, they didn't work as intended."

"So you didn't use this to make us fall in love?" He winked to me and shook the old jar.

"If I recall correctly, that one was never finished." A grin crept onto my face. "It actually had more licentious effects on the user than romantic."

"Ah."

"Spin the bottle, why don't you?"

"Why? Oh hey, this label goes around the other side." Mario dusted it off. "Lust Potion. Cute." He rolled his eyes while I snickered.

"Hey, if you're still game to try it out, we can go for it—"

"Are you implying that you need help with me by this point? Not confident about being as alluring as you thought you were?" Mario smirked as my mouth dropped open. While I sputtered for a response, he placed the jar back down. "You're adorable when you're flustered."

"You—I…wait, that was…you can't just…" My arms hung out and I stared at him.

"Aw, don't be like that." Mario grinned. "Trust me, you don't need any potions to help win me over, especially by now."

"Ha, thanks." My face burned as I smiled to him. "…You're a lot sexier than I expect."

"Is that bad?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Kind of sounded like it."

"Mario, you can out-flirt me at any time you want," I offered. "What I meant was that I'm so used to the sweet side that I don't see the spicy side coming. But he's welcome to whenever he pleases."

"Well, I guess I am used to being the 'good boy' between us," he joked, and I laughed. "But it's fun to keep you guessing."

"Oho, I've got to be corrupting you," I teased. "But I also love it."

"Didn't you have a Recorder to find?"

"Maybe it's not here." He frowned while I stuck my tongue out. "Guess we could have a night in after all."

"No more sexy Mario for you."

"Uh, you know what? I'm pretty sure it's…somewhere near…give me a minute."

Digging through the boxes and tossing scrolls, vials, and junk aside, I rummaged around a few before tugging out the damned Recorder itself. Hoisting it up, I spun around to show him.

"Aha!"

"Wow." Mario folded his arms, smirking. "You were right about the manipulation."

"Hush up and come here."

Studying the old wooden instrument, I checked around it as Mario approached. Nothing really seemed magical about this thing at all; I forgot how dull they looked, but talking about them always made them more exciting. Mario glanced past me and into the boxes.

"Is there another one?"

"No, this can warp both of us."

"Yes, definitely." I placed my free hand on my hip. "The only two Recorders that were ever in this room allowed the user and anyone holding onto them to warp near a fortress they desired to visit. They could be used for one round trip, but that was it."

"And you know that because the last one…?" He raised an eyebrow and I sighed.

"Because the other one was used by my father." I winced as I scowled at the Recorder. "Not Kamek."

"…Sorry."

"Don't be." My hand went around his waist. "Part of the crap in here was from times with him, and I don't come in here very often to avoid reminders, and to avoid giving Kamek any."

"Then why did we come in now?"

"Because you wanted this date to have better memories, right?" I smiled to him. "So, I wanted that to extend with this." Scanning over the messy storage room, I sighed. "This might be the first time I've been happy in here, actually." Mario squeezed my hand with his and smiled back to me. "Hold onto me while I play this. I think if I just keep Seaside in my thoughts, and then use this thing…"

Lifting the Recorder to my lips, while Mario wrapped his arms around my waist, I played a small little tune. For a moment, nothing much happened, though a soft light came from the instrument. Then a rush of wind gusted into the room and whirled around us. Clutching onto the Recorder and Mario, I held him in close as the storage room disappeared under the wind flashes.

As the air settled, I slowly released Mario while the salty air poured over my nostrils. I squinted from the brighter sands and gazed up at the sunset before rubbing my eyes to adjust. After settling, I smirked at the ebb and flow of the tide, relaxing my shoulders to take in the calm setting. A gentle wind breezed past us, and the palm trees lightly rustled as they swayed from the passing gust.

Mario shuffled forward a bit, adjusting his cap as he took in the view. I tapped the Recorder on my shoulder a bit, and tucked it away as I ambled to him.

"Forgot how nice this place is," I admitted.

"Seaside has underrated beauty to it," agreed Mario. "Guess that's natural for beaches and oceans."

"Good point."

"We're near where the fortress used to be, right?" Mario searched across the water, looking at a tidal island a little distance away.

"Around the area, yeah."

"So that is the island where we all fought and you kidnapped me," Mario pointed out, and I deflated as dragged my claw through my hair.

"…Yeah, that'd be the one," I mumbled.

"That was not a fun time."

"Do we need to bring it up?" I gripped my arm and held it closer to me. "I already apologized, I'm still sorry about it, and I really wish I hadn't…" Trailing off seemed easier than listing everything that I had regretted about that day.

"It does suck to think of, but it's actually been a while." Mario glanced over his shoulder and smiled to me. "You may hate how it feels, but it's a nice sign of growth that you regret it."

"Super," I deadpanned. "Glad my agony grants awareness of how terrible I've been."

"Sorry, my point is that we've come far," reasoned Mario. He walked over and picked up my hands. "Maybe we haven't gone about everything in the best manner, but…we are together." Pulling me along toward the water, Mario smiled as we neared the drifting tide. "Instead of fighting, we live together, and we both actively try to share a better life. We're very different from who we were when we started, and we've become different from the last time we were here as well." The water came closer, splashing at the sand by our feet, as Mario held my hands in his. "So, I like to think positively on that, and I was hoping I could get you to do the same."

"When you put it all like that, I…" Part of me wanted to get lost in his eyes, as soothing as the sea behind him.

"Yes…?"

"I, uh…"

"…Bowser?"

"That was sweet and all, but there's this…" I pointed at the water. "Do you see that green jellyfish with the weird little red bits inside of it? What is that thing?"

"Huh?" Mario spun around and searched out in the water where I pointed. "Uh. What is that?"

"No idea."

"It looks creepy."

"Almost like an alien!"

"Yeah, weird." Mario rubbed his head as we watched the jellyfish…alien…thing, which disappeared further into the water. "And now it's gone."

"Oh good, that was distracting me."

"Clearly."

"From this, I mean."

"Wait, from—?"

His last words didn't matter, and I lifted his chin up as I kissed him. The breeze, the waves, they both made too delightful of a symphony to pass up, and I wanted to get lost in him, with him. His lips were so soft, and I scooped him in closer as his hands lifted up to the sides of my face.

Gently and barely, I pulled back, because I had to enjoy the sight of Mario with a gorgeous blue ocean and a shimmering red sunset behind him. Perfection.

"But I haven't even done anything to earn that from you," joked Mario. His laugh only heightened the environment's melody for me.

"Just being here was already a great start," I decided and winked to him. "You chose nicely."

"Did I?"

"Of course." My grin widened. "I'm a sucker for cute guys and the beach, so naturally they're a winning combination." He laughed some more, and I wanted to keep that going.

"We didn't even get to do any shopping yet," Mario managed. He settled his chuckles and searched around the sand, digging up some seashells. "Which do you think would be make the best new style for you?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you have a shell, don't you?" Mario grinned. "So, I figured I'd take you shell shopping at the seashores of Seaside."

"That alliteration sounds both pleasant and annoying," I quietly observed.

"Worth a shot." He shrugged and presented small shells to me. "So, I was thinking a cone shape would be good, since you can be protective." Mario lifted the pointy shell up to me, and I pinched it between my fingers, hoping not to break it. "But then, you are beautiful, so maybe you'd want a scallop to accentuate your beauty." I snorted as he lifted another shell, which I thought resembled a miniature fan. "Which should house summertime Bowser?"

"This is conceptually horrifying."

"Come on, you had your gay beams to play with earlier," Mario mocked.

"My grand Koopa shell needs no replacements and already offers the best of both worlds, as far as these fragile little morsels are concerned," I touted. "You offered nice efforts, Mario, but mine remains the best there is."

"Ok." His hand opened up. "Give me those and I'll toss them back out."

"What? No!"

"Why not?"

"These are gifts from you to me," I murmured. "That makes them precious."

"Even if they're meaningless comparatively?" He smirked.

"When are you going to get it through your thick head that I happen to like things that you find worthless?" My eyes lowered as he chuckled. "I thought you were getting better at seeing new angles."

"I am." Mario crouched back to the sand. "And I'm glad that I was able to get you precious little treasures that you gave value to."

"…You played me for these, didn't you?"

"A bit, but I'm thrilled that you found them so beloved." His eyes widened and he excitedly scooped up a bigger shell. "Look! A conch!" He raised it up to me. "Want to play it like a horn? It might pair nicely with the Recorder."

"Are you trying to become a merman or something?" I snorted. "Those mermaid ladies from the Lamode would love you."

"Not exactly my type," confessed Mario, "though they are stylish." He tapped at his cheek. "Hmm. I wonder what we'd be like as merfolk."

"First you want me to be more like a dragon, then I get turned into a cat, and now you're picturing me as a fish." More of his laughter came with my eyes rolling. "Can't you just enjoy your Koopa as is?"

"You're perfect as you are," insisted Mario. "I'm just coming up with ways to spice things up now and again."

"Spice things up?" My eyebrows lifted. "Where's your mind going off to?"

"Oh hey, that shell reminds me of those bubbly snails."

"Don't you change the subject!"

"Just use your imagination," teased Mario. He darted off back inland. "Come on, I'm getting way too much sand in my shoes."

"Can't relate!"

"One day I'll make sure you do." Glancing over his shoulder, Mario lowered his eyes on me. "You got us new suits, didn't you?"

"No way, those are not for the beach." I folded my arms and smirked at him. "Though, we can get different kinds of suits to swim around in, if you're so inclined."

"Aw, wait, that would've been brilliant," realized Mario. "Why didn't we do that?"

"Strip and we'll go swim now," I offered.

"Bowser…"

"What? No one's here!"

"Actually, good point." Mario hurried to me and dragged me further off. "We need to find where they set the Seaside Market up."

"But swimming!"

"Another day."

"Ugh, at least take off your shirt," I protested.

"Didn't you get your fill this morning?"

"Not even close."

"Pervert."

"That's a compliment, especially when I'm talking about you!"

"I…well." Mario slowed as he lowered our hands. "It is attention that I want from you."

"Ha! We're the same!"

"Fair," relented Mario. He lifted his arms up, stretching, but…almost seductively, pushing out his chest like that. "We bring that out of one another." His smug face only made mine burn more.

"Yeah, that's…that's true…"

"Hmm." Spinning away from me, he looked up ahead. "Oh, there! I see a little smoke. They must be cooking something that way!"

"Uh, wait." My hand reached out and I gripped his shoulder. "Maybe it'll make for a nicer date if we just stick to the two of us here."

"Bowser, I don't want you to avoid the world forever." Mario lowered his eyes. "And I don't want to start." Did he have to break my heart like that?

"Ok, ok." I exhaled the breath I didn't realize I had taken. "Just…let's not go together. You first, and then me."

"But—"

"Trust me, that'll be better."

"No." Mario scooped my hand into his. Determined as always. "Come on." His eyes softened. "Please."

"…Fine…"

Part of me wished that I would be a little stronger on refusing him, not for my sake. I didn't care what they'd think of me, what they'll always think of me.

But he didn't deserve that.

Trudging up from the beach, we reached a wooden walkway. Mario took a moment to empty his sandy shoes, and I chuckled watching him stumble as he poured them out. Shifting closer to him, I helped keep him steady as he leaned on me for support. Tugging his boots back on, he looked up to me, hesitating. Maybe that's for permission to keep going. I nodded; I can't stop him. There's even a part of me that doesn't want to, part that wants to be proven wrong.

As we strolled past the trees and a bit further inland, the bustling little setup came into view. A bunch of market stalls, set up like a boardwalk, with Toads, Nokis, and Piantas loitering about. The vendors waved down potential customers to visit their makeshift shops, and I spotted a Toad and Pianta couple working at a grill under their tent, probably frying fish. One Noki had her hand resting on a treasure chest while curious customers eyed her treasures and shells. Another Noki passed out ice cream and snow cones to little Toads. Two more Pianta waved their hands and danced around near a blanket with a boombox. There was a Toad with plastic wings on his vest shouted to customers to play at his stall, and he lifted a blue bow with gold trimmings, aiming for "underworld monsters" or something like that. The Seaside Market was brimming with energy.

All in all…it was kind of cute.

Taking me closer to the inevitable, Mario had us approach this fun little event. But before we could even think about integrating with the crowd, a Toad gasped as he spotted us.

"Look out, everyone!" He wailed and flailed. "It's Bowser and Mario!"

Panic flooded across the area, as stalls were hurriedly abandoned and people shouted. The treasure selling Noki yelped and dove into her shell, rolling out of sight. Two Pianta crashed into one another, yelping as they fell over, but racing off once they got back on their feet.

Mario's fists tightened as he stubbornly stormed ahead. My shoulders dropped as my stomach lurched, and I took a step back. Maybe if I left, they might take it easier on him?

"Stop!" The Toad with the bow dashed over, blocking Mario's way.

"We're just visiting," insisted Mario as he lifted his hands. "I've been to these events dozens of times." He forced up a smile. "But this time, I wanted to—"

"Ruin the whole thing?" The Toad shook his head. "Why couldn't you just stay away? We know what you are now!"

"Please," Mario reached forward to the Toad, "there's no need—"

"Get back!"

Fumbling at the quiver along his hip, the Toad plucked out a toy arrow. He lifted the bow and aimed it at Mario, to which he took a step back. Not that it would hurt him in the slightest, but a growl picked up in my throat as I readied a claw.

"Are you crazy?!" The Pianta chef charged over and smacked the toy down. "Princess Peach ordered that we don't engage him!"

"That was before she knew he'd come here!"

"Think of everyone you'd endanger by attacking him! You'll only get yourself and all of us into trouble instead!" The Pianta pointed at me. "Bowser is literally over there!" Should've moved back further…

"We're not here to fight or harm anyone," persisted Mario. "Please, I just wanted to show him—"

"Why did you come here?" A smaller Toad poked out from behind a fallen table. He whimpered as he looked to Mario, and…oh Stars, are those tears in his eyes…? "You're scaring everybody!"

"Get over here," hissed a Noki as she covered the Toad from behind. "It's not safe yet!"

Mario's shoulders dropped as he took another step away from the group. Some closed in around him, and that tore it for me. I stomped over to him, sending the people shrieking and scurrying off. Taking Mario's hand into mine, I lightly tugged him back further.

But as he turned around, my heart sank as I spotted the defeat written over his crestfallen face. Frowning, eyes to the ground…it was too soon for him to be upset like that. And…he looked even worse than when we listened to the address…

"Let's go."

More screaming erupted from the ever-endearing citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, as they scrambled out a bigger mess of their market by just seeing us.

…By just seeing him with me…

"And stay away!" I shot a glare at the Toad, who fell over. "Someone! Help!"

Retreating from the area and back toward the beach we had enjoyed just moments ago, I turned back to Mario, but he still hung his head. Biting my lip, I cupped my hand under his chin and lifted his face. Tears don't belong in those beautiful eyes, not like this…

"I knew you'd be right," came his hollowed voice. "But…I still wanted to try…"

"Would've been nice if I was wrong, and I was hoping that I would be," I confessed.

"Sorry to put you through that."

"Sorry that you had to deal with it."

"…Maybe we should stop putting off what we need to talk about," admitted Mario, dropping his head again. "I'm ready to go back home now."

Cupping my hands around his cheeks, I gently kissed his forehead. He leaned into me, and I wrapped my arms around him, embracing him close to me. Tugging out the Recorder, I glared back to the market, but then forced myself to take in the sunset at sea. Relax…just let it go…

Playing the little tune once more, I kept Mario wedged between my arms as the whirlwind rushed around us. Seaside faded and we warped into the old storage workshop in my castle. I crouched down and wrapped myself around Mario again, pulling him in as close as I could. He lifted his hands to rest on my body, but couldn't bring himself to do much more, and I tightened myself around him.

This was going to be a long night for both of us.

---

...

Gosh, I really should tone it back on those sucker punches, huh?

Since I've never done it before, I wanted to try mixing the letter author with partner's perspective leading instead. It seemed cute, and I liked the comical twist it gave the first scene. Going from energetic and prepared to sluggish morning rituals, well...I don't know about you, but it's super relatable for me, lol.

Anyway, that first part was to give them a little morning routine, which I haven't included until this point and someone was curious about it. So, I tried focusing on that for once. Hopefully it was cute. ...What? I don't like the way you're grinning over that. It was a perfectly natural and totally tame...with just a little limit pushing.

...

More training and magic fun was included, but I specifically went for including more Mario power-ups, since that's been a minute. I thought it made sense for Bowser to have a supply stash that his forces could sometimes dip into. With more recent games giving the Koopa Troop chances to use power-ups, I figured that was reasonable. Plus, it gave me an excuse to slip Meowser in, so, why not? Besides that, it was nice letting Mario use a couple of power-ups himself; the return of Cape and the addition of Boomerang! And Bowser enjoyed Mario's magical transformation sequences more than his own, so, good.

King Bob-omb was my favorite minion of the update this time, since...well, I've had a soft spot for him over the years, and since he's being included in more games recently, I figured it was ok to include him a little more in my fanfic too! Plus, he added a very fun flavor to the mix.

Also, also! I think that this is the first time that I was able to squish in "Bowsario" as a term that the characters used! It's fanon canon now, so it's officially excellent. Or, uh, more excellent? Yes! ...Please let me validate myself. I stuck in the prideful scene, beam, and everything.

This was also the debut of the Bully race in the story, since I don't think I did that in a previous chapter, outside of Prince Bully himself. I didn't want them not getting used until too far down the road, so they popped up here with their leader. And Prince Bully got a chance to gain a little more favor from Bowser and Mario! ...Well, at least Mario.

...

Pom Pom followed up on that desire to learn more history, though she didn't get very far. Hey, she made the effort! Boom Boom and even Junior tried to help, but alas. Bowser doesn't open up that easily.

It was a delight making use of the Magic Warp Whistle Recorder! Trivia bit: that item originally debuted in Super Mario Bros. 3 before getting shelved for basically forever, until it came back in Paper Mario: Color Splash. However! The item was first used in another Nintendo title, which was none other than The Legend of Zelda! As of writing, they're celebrating that franchise's anniversary, so I dipped in on that. Plus, a sneak cameo or two for Zelda's fellow Nintendo anniversary buddies!

Beach date was a nice idea too, since I had previously considered Seaside for such last time, but caved to the allure of garden date. And yet the boys still didn't get to go swimming. Shame. ...Oh, and the whole mess after the fluff. Ha, ah...yeah. Well, we had to see the fallout from the last chapter, right? Totally necessary. Plus, it sets up the plot for the next chapter: dealings with feelings! ...This is a drama, you know. Romance, but drama too.

...

Feedback is this story's lifeblood, and pretty much mine too, so I hope to hear from you! It always delights my day to see reactions and thoughts.

Anyway, the next chapter will follow up on this one, and then we'll get into another exciting plot point. Oh, and the Sky adventures are also waiting in the winds. Also, yes, I absolutely did need to use that pun.

As always, thank you for reading and all of your continued support! It means a lot. Until next time, please continue to take care and stay safe. I wish you good luck too!