This chapter gets through quite a lot, hope you like it!
As Bowser's consciousness started to return, he opened his eyes with a jolt.
He recognised his bedroom around him instantly. 'Was it all a dream?' He thought, his heart rate skyrocketing. Rushing to pull his hands out from under the covers, he brought them in front of his face.
The same tanned human hands from before he blacked out.
He felt an odd sense of dread and relief, though he had no idea why.
A cough drew his attention to his left, where Kamek sat by his bedside.
"Si-umm... Your Majesty, how are you feeling?"
The odd look of shock and befuddlement that marred the magikoopa's face gave him pause.
'What happened to me?'
Ignoring the old koopa, bowser jumped out of bed – stumbling at his unfamiliar weight distribution – and rushed towards his full-body mirror.
The person that stared back wasn't quite a koopa, though they weren't entirely human, either. Feminine didn't quite cover it either; the body framed in the mirror was a woman's body. Breasts, wide hips and long legs that were definitely human, with an almost familiar – though it was longer and thinner – tail swaying slowly behind those legs. Speaking of familiar features; horns sprouted out from long red hair with blonde tips, framing a sharp-featured face with unreadable red eyes.
A strange feeling blossomed in Bowser's chest. The body in the mirror was his body – or was it 'her' now? Though Bowser knew that any normal person in his position would – should – be panicking right now, he couldn't find it in him to do so. An unusual peace settled over his sorrow-ridden mind, so he decided to accept it for now and simply be a she.
She watched in the mirror as she sighed in her acceptance.
"Y-Your Majesty?"
Remembering she wasn't alone, Bowser turned to face the still-startled Kamek.
"Yes?" The unfamiliar feminine voice replied.
"Y-You... You're fine with this?" He asked cautiously, having expected an outburst from the temperamental king.
Bowser simply shrugged. "What happened to me?"
Kamek stared incredulously for a moment before shaking his head and addressing his liege's question.
"Well, it seems that the combination of the experimental power-up, the super crown you were holding and the burst from the rejuvenation pod has turned you into a... Well, a woman." He paused, possibly waiting for a reaction of some sort, but received none. "I believe it's permanent."
"Permanent?"
"Well, I'm sure I'll be able to find something that could reverse it; given a few months."
An all too familiar hollow feeling opened in Bowser's chest. Reality seemed to hit her then; she couldn't rule the kingdom like this – she was Bowser, fearsome Koopa King!
...He. He was Bowser.
Slightly panicked now, Bowser resorted to the only way he knew how to deal with it. Anger.
"Well, what am I going to do for months!? I can't rule like this; no one would take me seriously!?"
Kamek hmmed, "Well, you'd probably have to put clothes on first, I suppose..."
"KAMEK, YOU IDIOT! Don't joke about this!"
He looked puzzled for a moment, but settled on a look of pity. "I wasn't... But perhaps you could take a trip – take Junior with you – until I find a solution?"
Bowser started to pace. "I can't just leave!? What would we tell everybody?"
"We could tell them you are taking a short trip to train your fighting prowess; you're bringing Jr with you to teach him of life outside of nobility."
Bowser turned, enraged, towards the magikoopa. "WHAT!? That's crazy, I'd nev-" he paused. "Actually, that might work."
Kamek looked proud of himself. "All you'd have to do is live as a woman for a few months; we'll be able to look after the kingdom while you're gone."
'Live as a woman...' Bowser nodded. "Fine. I can do that."
Kamek smiled. "Perfect. Any ideas for names?"
'Hmm, names... what could I-'
"Bowsette." The newly female koopa replied almost instantaneously, surprising even herself. 'Where had THAT come from!?'
"Bowsette..." Kamek tested the name on his tongue. "It suits you."
She couldn't help but smile in response.
Before they could move onto discussing the finer points of their plan, the door started to creak open.
"Papa," Junior called, rubbing his eyes as he groggily padded into the room. "It's dinner ti-"
He paused, turning to see the strange woman that occupied his father's room just as she managed to tie a blanket around herself.
Junior's eyes widened, instantly noting the pretty woman's koopa features. "M-Mama...?"
Bowsette grimaced, showing off her sharp teeth. The poor kid desperately wanted a proper mother; this might just confuse him too much. She stepped towards the young koopa, dropping down to her knees in front of him. "Heya, Junior." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Umm... Not quite; let me explain." She settled on the ground, gesturing to Junior to do the same. Kamek also stood just off to the side, to intervene if need be.
"Well, you see..." She started, considering the best approach to this. "There was an... accident at the lab and your Dad was caught in it." Junio's eyes widened in panic. Realising her mistake, Bowsette hastened to correct herself, "He's fine! It's just... well, he was turned into... Well, he was turned into a woman. Me."
Junior's face settled on a neutral, wide eyed expression. "You're Papa?"
Bowsette simply smiled awkwardly and nodded.
Junior rushed forward to pull his sole parent into a hug. "Does that mean you're my Mama now?"
Bowsette returned the hug, pure happiness blooming in her chest and tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She glanced over the where Kamek was simply watching the gesture with a warm smile and answered her son. "Yeah, I guess I am."
"Mama..." Junior muttered, snuggling deeper into the hug.
Bowsette remained at the castle for a few days while details were hashed out and Kamek performed tests to insure she was in good health.
Not wanting the castle staff to catch wind of what happened, Bowsette spent most of her time hidden in her room. Though that was what she was doing before the change, this time she felt happier while doing so; not that she was particularly happy most of the time – the sadness that she'd been drowning in since the disastrous Moon wedding still weighed heavily on her, but she felt more... comfortable in her sadness, like she was no longer struggling to keep her head from going under.
The most likely cause of this comfort was Junior; he insisted on spending more time with her, claiming that he was enjoying finally having a mother.
"Junior," She said to the young koopa sat in front of her. "You know I'm still your Papa; I just... have a different body. You understand that, right?"
Junior just smiled. "I know. But I've never had a real Mama, so it's nice to have one now; it doesn't matter that you're also my Papa."
Hearing that warmed her heart, but also gave her a pang of guilt that Junior never got to know his mother.
"Besides," He continued. "I get a lot more hugs from you now."
Bowsette chuckled at that, pulling him into her chest.
Junior's acceptance of the whole thing proved a great comfort, and his joy over it was a great distraction from the turmoil in her mind.
She also spent a lot of her time simply being.
That is, being a woman.
Since acquiring this new body, Bowsette had been filled with curiosity to do many things. Some of those things were decidedly feminine; styling her hair and trying different clothes – though that could just come with having a smaller form, as her previous body wasn't too adaptable to, nor in need of, many clothes. Others were more basic, like experiencing trivial things; like lying in bed or having a shower unburdened by an ungainly koopa body.
It was different, but a good different. Perhaps different was what her life needed right now.
Three days after the accident, Bowsette left the Koopa Kingdom with Junior. Kamek had acquired them a small wooden lodge located in a forest in the southern part of the Mushroom Kingdom. There was a large lake a short distance south east of the lodge and a small town at the northern edge of the forest, that they could visit for any provisions they needed – they certainly weren't lacking for money.
They arrived in the evening, having travelled by clown car, which they hid in a shed attached to the back of the lodge – not wanting it to attract any attention.
The front door of the lodge opened into a main room, with a kitchen and dining area on the left and a living area on the right. There were three doors on the wall opposite the front door, leading to two bedrooms and a bathroom, with the bathroom situated in the middle.
As Bowsette explored and inspected the lodge, Junior waddled over to the sofa and yawned loudly, before flopping onto it. "Mama, I'm hungry!" He whined.
Bowsette chuckled under her breath and rolled her eyes at her son's antics while walking over to the fridge – Kamek had assured her that the place would be well-stocked with enough food for the next few days. Overall, Junior seemed to have mixed feelings about having to live away from the castle for an undetermined amount of time; he said he'd miss the castle and not being able to eat anything he liked, but that he was also excited to live out in the forest and spend more time with his Mama.
'He's not the only one that'll miss the castle kitchens...' Bowsette thought as she looked in the fridge, realising that she had to actually cook something. Not that she had no experience doing so, but that experience was mostly reserved for cooking meat. Mostly on a barbeque.
Assessing what they had, she was relieved to find that most of it was meat anyway. Though, she still balked at having to be the responsible one and ensure that they ate a somewhat balanced diet; at least she could just throw it in with the meat.
She looked through the cupboards, assessing the rest of their food stock. 'Potatoes count as vegetables, right?'
Both tired from the journey, the two Koopas went to bed not long after they'd eaten the only slightly burnt meal. Bowser Junior likely fell asleep almost instantly, but Bowsette wasn't that lucky. Her mind was awake with thoughts and concerns; how long will they be here? Would anyone find them here? What if she missed a Karting tournament? Will Kamek really be able to reverse this?
'Will I want him to?'
Her eyes shot open at that, as she quickly sat up. 'where did THAT thought come from?!'
Unnerved, she got out of bed, turned on her bedside lamp and stood in front of the full body mirror on the wall.
Her blonde-tipped red hair was a mess, her bedclothes ruffled from all her tossing and turning, and her eyes were tired for want of sleep.
She often found herself doing this. Simply looking at herself in the mirror. It was... oddly comforting for the conflicted koopa. Her body was so different from her previous one, but it never seemed that unfamiliar. Like it was made for her.
Bowsette shook her head of those thoughts. She often found herself questioning the significance of her new body but could never find any answers; it was best to just try and ignore the matter entirely.
Returning to bed, she soon managed to fall asleep.
The next day, Bowsette decided to check out the local town. They didn't need anything in particular, but she thought it best to investigate the town, get an idea of where everything was.
She definitely wasn't going to get loads of snacks.
As she arrived in the centre of town, however, her eyes were drawn to the north side of town, to the road clearly signposted to lead to Toad Town.
Her mind instantly drifted to Peach. Oh, how she missed the beautiful blonde princess. How she'd love to catch but a glimpse of her and her angelic smile.
Bowsette's heart sunk. That smile that was never meant for her, it seemed. She wondered what Peach was up to now – no doubt being happier with Mario than she could ever be with her. The thought that Peach might now be even less interested in the koopa now she was female crossed her mind for but a second, before dismissing the stupid thought. It was time to be honest with herself; someone like Peach would never like her – especially after all that she had done – regardless of what form she took.
Bowsette turned her head away from the road, guilt and shame weighing heavily on her heart.
Dwelling on the matter would only sour her mood further.
Peach had been back for about a week and a half following her week-long holiday with Tiara – with Mario also popping up from time to time. In that time, Mario and Peach had – at least, by her understanding – reached a silent understanding to not discuss the events on the moon. Naturally, this meant that any romantic subtext that might have previously been seen in their interactions was no longer there. Peach was becoming increasing fine with this and was just glad that the awkwardness between them had seemed to dissipate somewhat.
When the news that King Bowser was taking a break from the throne to hone himself and humble his son, the two – and the kingdom as a whole – shared a collective sigh of relief that Bowser's absence likely meant no kidnappings until he returned to his station.
Amidst the relief, however, Peach couldn't help but feel slightly concerned for the koopa king. In his last few kidnappings, he seemed increasingly frantic and determined to charm her – in all the wrong ways, of course – culminating in the madness that was their moon wedding. But that thought, coupled with his dejection at her rejection of his proposal, rose concerns about his mental state. Not that she sympathised with him; his actions have caused untold damage to many kingdoms and his attempts at courtship make her want to kick some sense into his thick, prideful skull. But he had shown in that past that he wasn't entirely cruel; she just hoped he could find some peace.
That is, without hurting others.
Having returned from her trip to town with far too much junk food, Bowsette spent the rest of the day stuffing herself to her heart's content while moping on the sofa. Junior diligently stayed snuggled by her side, alternating between sleeping and eating.
Eventually, she also dropped off into a fitful sleep.
She awoke feeling horrible – and not just emotionally. A horrible taste lingered in her mouth, her stomach was feeling queasy from the lack of nutritional food and she had a pounding headache. She looked down at Junior, who was sleeping with his head resting on her lap. No doubt, he would also feel ill when he awoke; though likely not to the same extent, thanks to the resistance that children seemed to have towards binging sugar and snacks.
'Still... I'm a bad mother for letting it happen.'
She sighed. The thought only added more guilt to that which she was already feeling from yesterday. She was a bad parent, an impulsive ruler, a far-too-aggressive attempted suitor and an all-round terrible person, it seemed. She wondered why she ever thought she could be a good husband in a marriage that started from a kidnapping.
She squeezed her eyes shut, stopping that train of thought. She couldn't do this. She couldn't keep wallowing in self-pity and guilt for the rest of her life; if not for her own wellbeing, then for Junior's.
'But how?' She dropped her head into her hands. She didn't know how to be happy – or even content – in life; her only sources of joy were Peach, Junior and the occasional karting tournament.
'Well. One of those things is here with me right now, depending on me to be a good mother.'
Even if she would spend the rest of her life sad and alone, she could still be the best parent she could possibly be for Junior.
Making sure not to wake the sleeping koopa, Bowsette carefully extracted her thigh from under his head, lent over to give him a gentle kiss on his forehead and walked over to the kitchen area. Checking their supplies, she decided on pancakes with fruit for breakfast. Healthy and tasty.
Junior stirred after a while, awoken from the smell. He stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.
"You feeling alright, Kiddo?" Bowsette asked over her shoulder.
He grunted ambiguously and hugged her lower body. "Are you alright, Mama?"
He was looking up, trying to meet her eyes. When she looked down at him, there was genuine concern there. Bowsette felt guilt and happiness in equal measure; guilt that her son had to be concerned for her mental health and happiness at being loved by someone.
She gave him a smile. "I'm... I'm getting there, Kiddo."
And she felt like maybe she was. She still felt the guilt and shame from all of her past misdeeds and failures, but now she was beginning to accept them; perhaps if she did that she could learn from them and maybe become a better – and happier – person because of it.
"Good." Junior said with a smile. "What's for breakfast?"
I'm not entirely satisfied with lots of this chapter, but hopefully you find it somewhat enjoyable. I'm not sure if my pacing was any good, either... I'd love to hear some feedback, though; tell me what you thought!
Thanks for reading!