Author's Notes: Welcome back to a new installment of "In Another Life (and Another Castle)". This update was quicker than usual, and I am happy for that. I've decided that even-numbered chapters will take place in the "War Universe" and odd-numbered chapters will take place in the "Sports Universe". At least for now. This chapter is all about Bowser A. I wanted to include a Mario A segment, but the Bowser story was better developed, so I just went with that. Thank you for sticking around, and please review :)


Chapter 4

...And Four To Go

Bowser awoke with a splitting headache. Everything was dark and painful. He tried to remember...

Oh, right. He fainted. Why did he faint again?

"Dad, are you alright?" That voice sounded too old to be Bowser Jr.

Bowser opened his eyes and leaned his massive head against the railing of his medical bed to get a better look at who was speaking to him.

There he was, that Koopa from before, the one that claimed to be his son. Bowser still had trouble piecing everything together. Peach was locked in his dungeon and apparently had been abused, the Koopa Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom were at war, Toads were dying at the hands of his own soldiers, and...he had seven children. Nothing was right.

"I'm alright," Bowser lied to his alleged son, "Have you heard anything about Mario?"

"Some troops from the grasslands said they saw the plumber riding with that insipid Yoshi not long ago," Ludwig informed him, "Don't worry. We have troops going after him as we speak. Mario is in Iggy's domain, and despite my lack of confidence in my nerdy little brother, we will hope for a swift and decisive victory. Who knows? Maybe Mario will even be captured alive so we can hold a public execution."

"Execution!?" Bowser asked in horror.

His own (possibly) son wanted to execute his best friend? Yet another piece of a puzzle that shouldn't exist. Bowser was beginning to understand though. Whatever had happened here, it was most likely his fault. His infinite warp pipe had failed. Instead of transporting them to new locations, the untested device had apparently reshaped the world. Bowser had destroyed everything he ever cared about, and his fire-coated heart was breaking even as he did his best to hold himself together.

"Don't worry, Dad. The honor of killing Mario will of course be reserved for you," Ludwig assured him, "Your military genius is bringing us to the precipice of victory. I can't wait to have my own domain to rule forever! By the way, in case you haven't decided which of us Koopalings should be your successor, I have composed a symphony in your honor. I know you don't care for music, but imagine the future generations that will sing the name Bowser long after we are gone. Can Roy or Lemmy or even Wendy do that? I don't think so!"

"I need to lie down," Bowser groaned as he sat up on the bed.

"Of course, Dad," Ludwig replied with a slight bow, "Rupert! Escort your king to his bedchamber!"

A Goomba appeared through the door and waited for Bowser to get up. Bowser knew he was expected to follow the Goomba, but for reasons he couldn't explain he was afraid to go with him. Bowser knew this dark new world was likely all that remained of his life. He would have to get used to living here with these people. Problem was, he knew he wasn't the Koopa they thought he was. He didn't want war, he didn't want to marry Peach, and he certainly didn't know how to raise seven bloodthirsty kids. What was he going to do?

With no answers and no way to get them at the moment, Bowser got up and followed the expectant Goomba to his room.

Just as predicted, his room wasn't even in the same wing as he remembered. It was on that side of the house where the lava river was too close to the castle walls. Everything felt hotter than it should, which honestly seemed like a fitting metaphor for his predicament. Even his bed was wrong. His beautiful red silk sheets had been replaced by black fireproof vinyl. It was safer, sure, but it felt so...tacky.

"Do you require anything else, sire?" The Goomba asked submissively.

"Yeah. Could you send a mattress to Peach's cell?" Bowser asked, "She only has some straw. That doesn't befit royalty."

"Of course, sire," The Goomba replied dutifully.

The Goomba then waddled away, leaving Bowser alone with his thoughts. He knew the right thing to do was simply free Princess Peach, but at the same time that could be a risky move. He felt like a kid that awoke from sleepwalking to find he was pulling on a Yoshi's tail. If he let go, he would get bitten. If Bowser freed this new version of the princess without knowing her temperament or capabilities, he could risk a prolonged war or even her killing him.

Bowser knew what Peach, the real Peach, was capable of. She was just as much of an adrenaline junkie as the rest of their social group, though she hid it well behind a veneer of polite humility. She claimed to only participate in extreme sports for fun, but he knew she was competitive and skilled. She was possibly the most toned and powerful woman he had ever met, and he didn't even think Princess Daisy was her equal. How did this new version of the princess become so...helpless?

Bowser laid there in his bed for some time. He just looked up at the ceiling and tried to plan out what to do next. Could he fix the warp pipe somehow? Maybe reverse the effects so his world would return to normal? He didn't know how, and wasn't really sure that would work. After all, Mario had gone through the pipe too, so if he fixed everything it might still kill Mario. Maybe if he could find Mario, they could fix this together.

Yes, that was the lynchpin. He needed to find Mario. But...would it be the real Mario, or another alternate version like with Peach? Bowser's headache only became worse when he contemplated these possibilities.

He probably stayed in that same position on his bed for an hour before there was a knock on his door. He didn't want to answer it, but he knew he couldn't hide in his room forever.

"Who is it and what do you want?" Bowser asked sourly.

A Koopa Troopa gulped as he opened the door a crack, just barely enough to poke his head through. He looked terrified, though Bowser was in little mood to make him feel better. He had problems of his own to deal with.

"Your majesty, your son Roy had returned from the front with a gift for you," The Troopa explained timidly.

"Another one?" Bowser sighed, smoke coming from his nose and mouth in an effort to relax his overheated system, "Fine. Where is he now?"

"In the receiving room, your majesty," The Troopa told him.

Bowser simply nodded and unenthusiastically got up. He followed the Troopa through the many hallways (and traps) to the room where he would meet yet another offspring that was supposedly his. He missed his real son, his Bowser Jr. He wanted to pick his son up and hold him in his arms. He wanted to see those scrawled-out paintings lining the kitchen wall, and answer the million questions Junior had about the world. Sure, Junior could be a lot to deal with at times, but he was Bowser's own flesh and blood, his only surviving family. He wanted him back more than anything, and would give his very kingdom to make that happen.

When Bowser finally entered the receiving room, he saw a very ordinary looking Paratroopa flapping his wings and looking expectantly at Bowser. Was this his son?

"Announcing one of the heirs male of the Koopa Kingdom!" Okay, apparently this was not his son, "Sir Roy Koopa the Awesome!"

Bowser couldn't help but snort in laughter at that statement. Apparently this next kid was going to be quite the egotist.

The Koopa that entered the room was not what Bowser was expecting. He was large, not Bowser's level of large, but still quite hefty for a Koopa. He was pink faced with a yellow muzzle and arms, a purple shell, and flashy red sunglasses. Most Koopas didn't come in pink and purple, so he had no idea what had happened to this 'Roy' fellow. The spikes on his shell gave away however that he was a direct descendant of the royal line. Roy was holding a chain, where something dragged along behind him in the next room. Bowser really hoped it wasn't a Chain Chomp. Those things always messed up the carpet.

"Dad!" Roy greeted him happily, "Boy, do I have a great surprise for you!"

"Great..." Bowser put on his best fake smile and tried to look happy, even though he was sure it would be another unpleasant reminder of what he had done, "What did you bring me, son?"

Roy gave the chain a rough yank, and four imprisoned Toadstools tripped over themselves to enter the room. Bowser kept his face unreadable, but he was rather sickened by what he was seeing. These Toads looked defeated, bruised, and downcast. It was clear they had lost the will to fight back. What made it worse however was that Bowser knew at least one of them. Two of the Toads were unremarkable, a yellow Toad and a Blue toad. One had a red cap and a blue vest, indicating that he worked for Princess Peach. The fourth one however...

"Toadette," Bowser whispered under his breath.

Yes, Toadette was among the prisoners captured by Bowser's new son. Her pink and white mushroom pigtails drooped listlessly, and she looked at the floor rather than at the Koopas. She was nothing like the feisty, competitive, and hot-tempered Toadette that Bowser knew. It wasn't that he liked Toadette or anything, but he knew her. He knew who she was, and this wasn't it.

"I figured you could use a few slaves around the main castle," Roy said casually, an unassuming smile draped across his rounded face, "This way they can do all the stuff the Goombas don't wanna do."

For a moment Bowser was too dumbstruck to speak. What was he supposed to say? That he was happy with his son bringing him sentient beings as property? He wasn't, and he didn't think he could pretend he was. This wasn't right. That mantra had been playing on repeat in his head since he crossed the warp zone. Nothing was right, everything was wrong, and it was all his fault.

"Well, well, if it isn't my dear brother, Roy," Ludwig crooned as he entered the room, "Nice of you to finally show up. Are the other Koopalings arriving soon?"

"I dunno. It's not my business," Roy grunted, "You feel like you gotta be in charge of everything, don't ya?"

"Of course I do. I'm Dad's heir," Ludwig replied smugly.

"More like leftover hair," Roy snickered at his own bad joke, "You're the one always clogging the drain!"

"At least I have hair to clog the drain with," Ludwig jabbed back, "Unlike you."

"That's it!" Roy shouted before charging toward Ludwig.

Bowser was caught off guard by Roy trying to attack Ludwig, but Ludwig expertly jumped and dodged every move. Apparently his sons were ambitious brats. Figures. He couldn't catch a break in this new twisted universe.

"Boys, stop doing that!" Bowser shouted crossly, "I don't want you fighting!"

"He started it," Ludwig replied while pointing to Roy.

"Did not!" Roy refuted.

"Did so!' Ludwig countered.

This led to both of them going back and forth over who started the fight, and Bowser's headache growing worse and worse. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it! I order you both into the dining hall!" Bowser yelled, "I will meet you there shortly."

"Of course, Dad," Ludwig replied smoothly, "Forgive this display of barbarism. Normally I can keep my inner beast in check."

"Inner beast...hah!" Roy scoffed, "The only beast inside of you is a chicken!"

"Don't you start with me, pinkie!" Ludwig warned.

The brothers continued to fight even as they walked down the hall. They could be heard long after they could no longer be seen, and Bowser just stood there and waited for the noise to die down. Something had struck him as odd about the Koopalings, namely how different they looked from each other and him. Bowser had laid Bowser Jr.'s egg himself, so Junior was basically a clone of his father. These new children however had diverse genetic structures. That meant that somewhere there had to be a mother for the stork to register. Did Bowser have a wife? Multiple wives? The thought unnerved him.

Once the Koopalings were definitely gone, Bowser turned his attention back to the only ones left in the room besides himself, the four imprisoned Toadstools. If anyone should want the world back to normal besides him, it would probably be them.

"Hey, Toadette. I need to talk to you," Bowser began, but as he took a step closer the Toads all flinched and averted their gaze.

"H-How do you k-know my name?" Toadette stammered nervously.

"We've met before. Several times," Bowser told her.

"I've never met you," Toadette corrected him.

Before she could say another word however, the red and blue Toad jabbed his elbow into her side and leaned over to whisper to her. Toad voices had a tendency to carry however, so Bowser heard exactly what he said to her.

"Don't contradict King Koopa," Toad whispered harshly, "He'll burn you to a crisp and eat you!"

Toadette's eyes widened in realization, and she turned her anxious attention back to King Bowser.

"Forgive me, your highness. We have met before. Several times. Just like you said," Toadette said with shaky breath, "Not that you're forgettable! No, you're very imposing, sire! I just, um, hit my head! On the way here! Right! That's it! I hit my head! Hahaha!"

If anyone had hit their head it was likely Bowser, as even the high-pitched gravelly sounds of the Toads' voices was starting to grate on his eardrums and make his head throb. He rubbed the sore spot behind his left horn and tried to think of what to say next. The Toads were terrified, but he needed them to trust him if his half-baked plan was going to work. He needed help fixing the world, and he didn't trust his own people to want this post-apocalyptic nightmare to change. He needed these Toads.

"Toadette, I know you don't remember me-" Bowser tried to say.

"No! I do! I really do! Honest!" Toadette interrupted him, "Please don't eat us, your highness! We're full of empty calories!"

Bowser groaned and leaned his head back in frustration. The Toadette in his old world also had a habit of talking over people. It would have been comforting that something was the same...if she weren't so annoying.

"Listen to me, Toadette!" Bowser snapped, and the Toads all gulped in unison, "You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt any of you. I just need your help."

"We know," The red and blue Toad replied, "We have been brought here to be your servants. Please tell me sire, is our princess still alive?"

"Yes, she's alive," Bowser sighed, not wanting to remember the sorry state Peach was in, "Look, what I'm trying to say is...I think I destroyed the world."

"Gee, ya think?" Toadette quipped, but then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth once she realized what she had just said, "Uh, I meant, if you say so, sire."

"I'm serious. This isn't how things are supposed to be," Bowser told them, "I woke up earlier today after an accident involving an advanced new warp pipe, and everything was changed. My best friend is missing, Princess Peach is being held prisoner in my castle, and apparently now the Koopa Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom are at war. My son has been replaced by seven brats I don't know, and my castle is full of death traps! Everything is wrong. I need help if I'm going to try to fix this, but I don't trust the other Koopas. Since we're winning the war they'll probably want everything to stay like it is, but this isn't right."

The four Toads didn't reply at first, but just looked up at him in confusion. They weren't sure what kind of scheme this would be if he was lying, but if he was telling the truth...

"So, you don't want to take over our kingdom?" Toadette asked intently.

"No. I just want my old life back," Bowser replied solemnly, "Please, will you help me?"

"Will you unchain us?" The yellow Toad finally spoke up.

Bowser leaned over the yellow Toad, and he screamed, believing Bowser was going to bite him. Instead, Bowser used his claw to unlock the heavy chains around the Toad's neck and wrists. The Toad looked up at Bowser in amazement, sure that the evil Koopa king wasn't really going to free him. Bowser then freed the others as well, hoping that this small bit of trust would be rewarded.

"So long, suckers!" The blue toad shouted before darting toward the exit.

Bowser facepalmed. He knew he should have expected this. The blue Toad didn't get far however, as he tripped over his own puffy pants and fell chin first onto the red carpet!

"Ow..." The blue Toad groaned.

"You dummy! There are guards outside!" Toadette reprimanded him, "Please sire, forgive Cleetoad's stupidity. It won't happen again."

"Does he, uh, need a 1-Up or something?" Bowser asked awkwardly as the blue Toad struggled to get up.

"Naw, he's just dramatic," The yellow Toad replied nonchalantly, "So boss, how do we end the war?"

"Don't call him boss," The red and blue Toad scolded, "We're in enemy territory, not interviewing for the power star factory."

"But if we're stuck here, then he is our boss," The yellow Toad shrugged.

Bowser sighed as he looked at his new 'elite' task force. These toads were not only weak, but they seemed to be dumb too. Toadette was likely the most intelligent of the four, but even she didn't seem remarkable. If he was going to fix the infinite warp pipe, then Bowser really wished he could have a fellow scientist to work with. That was when he got an idea.

"E. Gadd!" Bowser suddenly exclaimed.

"What? What? Did you see a bug?" Cleetoad asked curiously.

"No! Professor Gadd!" Bowser shouted excitedly, "Do any of you know where a humanoid named Professor Elvin Gadd lives?"

The four of them looked at each other in puzzlement. Then they looked up at Bowser. He could sense there was something they weren't telling him.

"Well?' Bowser prodded.

"King Bowser, sir," Toadette replied hesitantly, "You threw E. Gadd into prison."