Aaahhh... Sorry it's been so long since an update, I've been pretty busy with other stuff and right now all of the days seem to meld into one. But they're weak excuses (especially since I left the story on a cliffhanger last time), so I'm sorry (can't promise it won't happen again, though, with my terrible writing motivation...).
Anyways, I realised that I've never thanked my guest reviewers (as I can't PM them), so thank you, beloved guest reviewers for your kind reviews!
Okay, I'll stop distracting you, here's the chapter.
The Mushroom castle was on red alert.
Guards rushed around, trying to figure out what had happened while castle staff hastily tried to find their friends and ensure their safety.
Stood amidst the chaos, Princess Peach waited as the Mario Brothers arrived; slowing to a stop in front of her.
"What's-a happened here?!" Luigi asked.
"Mario, Luigi." Peach addressed the two with audible relief. "Toadsworth has been kidnapped!"
"Toadsworth? I-a thought Bowser was taking a break?" Mario asked, puzzled.
Peach shook her head. "I don't think it was Bowser; a group of toads and koopas did this. If Bowser had, he would have made sure that we knew it was him."
The brothers nodded in agreement. "And he would have taken you and not-a Toadsworth." Luigi reasoned with a sheepish smile.
Peach hummed dismissively, her thoughts wandering back to Bowser's most recent kidnapping. "Please – Mario, Luigi – You have to save him!"
The two puffed out their chests, a determined look crossing their features. "You can-a count on us, Princess Peach!" Luigi declared.
"Which-a way did they go?" asked Mario.
Bowsette wasn't good at tracking; she had no experience, as she was usually the one that was tracked rather than the one doing the tracking.
Following the trail of debris left by the kidnappers was so easy, however, it could hardly be called tracking.
She followed their trail for about an hour, before coming across what looked to be a large abandoned house where they had apparently set up base.
Observing the entrance from behind a bush, she saw that there were two guards at the door; one toad and one koopa.
She briefly considered her options; she could take the direct route, she could cause a distraction or she could try a stealthy approach.
Though, she supposed, it was perhaps too late to consider stealth after her foot had already made abrupt contact with the koopa guard's head.
Utilising her momentum, she followed through with punch to the toad guard. Both unconscious, she turned to the door.
The door violently splintered under her immense strength.
Three Kidnappers stood near the doorway, startled by her entrance. They were swiftly engulfed in Bowsette's flames. Extending her claws, she obliterated the nearest door. The inhabitants of that room were not spared her rage; defenceless against the onslaught of sharp claws, harsh punches and a whip-like tail.
Over the next ten minutes, Bowsette tore through the house with claw, fist, foot and flame. None were spared her rage. Having cleared most of the rooms in the house, she still hadn't found any clue of Junior's whereabouts. Kicking down the next door, she came across a small room with only one koopa inside. Rushing forward, she seized him by the throat, forcing him against the wall.
"Where is he?!"
The unbridled rage in Bowsette's deep red eyes filled the koopa with fear. "T-they're in the pantry! Please don't hurt me!"
She answered by slamming his head into the wall again, knocking him out.
She fought her way to the kitchen with the same relative ease that she cleared the rest of the house. Coming up to the pantry doors, she ripped the door off its hinges, throwing it to the side.
However, Junior wasn't their only hostage, it seemed.
He was tied and blindfolded back-to-back with an elderly toad. Puzzled, she set about untying them when she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"A-Who are you?"
Oooh, that voice. That voice that barely spoke, that belonged to the harbinger of Bowsette's greatest defeats.
She turned to witness the Mario Brothers in all their glory.
"If it isn't everyone's favourite plumbers." She said mockingly.
A look of confusion crossed their faces. Luigi spoke. "D-do we know you?"
Bowsette's look of anger was quickly replaced with one of surprise. 'Right. They don't recognise me.'
"Umm... No."
A moment of awkward silence passed, which Bowsette quickly broke.
"Are you here for him?" She stood to the side slightly, letting them see the elderly toad.
"Ah, yes, Toadsworth!"
The now untied toad stood and removed his gag.
"Mario! Luigi! Thank you for coming for me!" He then turned to face Bowsette. "Though, it seems this young lady has already rescued me!"
"Right. Well, I was only here to rescue Juni-uhhh..." She stopped herself. If they knew that she was Bowser or that Junior was with her, they wouldn't likely let her go without a fight.
If recent fights with Mario were any indication; that was an altercation that she'd rather avoid.
"Juni! I was here to rescue my kid, Juni." She turned to crouch in front of junior, removing his bandanna, flipping it to hide its design and tied it over his head like a hood.
"Just roll with it, Junior; they can't know that it's us." She whispered in his ear.
"Thank you for saving me, Mama!" He said – in a different register to his normal voice – after she removed his gag.
He hugged her and she picked him up, holding him to her chest.
"See?" She said, turning to the other three. "Just here to rescue my son, I'd best be going."
"Wait!" Toadsworth shouted, blocking her path. "You saved me, and you must be rewarded. Come back to the Mushroom Kingdom with us as we shall do just that."
Bowsette waved her free hand dismissively. "Oh no, it's alright; I'll just be on my way."
Mario looked at her curiously before interjecting. "Princess Peach will-a want to meet the person that saved her trusted advisor, you-a must come!" Luigi nodded along encouragingly.
'Princess Peach...'
This was a bad idea. A terrible, terrible idea. She couldn't meet with Peach, not after what had happened on the Moon; she needed to stay away from the mushroom monarch for as long as possible.
"Well, if you insist..." Bowsette conceded.
"So, what's-a your name?"
The group consisting of Mario, Luigi, Toadsworth, Bowser Junior and Bowsette had set off back to the mushroom kingdom on foot – deciding that they would stop by Bowsette's cabin so she could pick up some of her and Junior's stuff; they would likely have to stay the night in Toad Town as it was already evening.
She turned her head towards Luigi, initially hesitant to answer his question before she realised that they wouldn't recognise her name anyway.
"Bowsette."
"Bowsette, huh?" He gave her a funny look, before settling on a neutral expression. "It suits you."
"Well, I'd hope so, being as it's my name." She snarked, rolling her eyes.
Luigi was unphased by it, though, and looked like he was going to carry on talking, when Toadsworth – who had clearly been listening in – interjected.
"Oh, Bowsette, I really cannot thank you enough for saving me! I'm glad you agreed to come back to Toad Town with us – have you ever been to Toad Town, Bowsette?"
"Oh, umm... once or twice." She replied awkwardly, unsure how to take the elderly toad's happy demeanour.
He smiled at her reply, "Oh, then I'm sure I don't have to tell you how wonderful it is..."
He talked her ear off most of the way back to the cabin, talking about the various things to do in the Mushroom Kingdom and the various events that Peach often held – many of which Bowsette had crashed in order to kidnap the princess. He quieted when they reached the cabin, however. Mario, Luigi and Toadsworth all looked upon the beaten-up cabin and its ruined exterior with pitying eyes. Bowsette was mostly unphased; it was an inconvenience, to be sure, but not one that some time and money – both things she had in abundance at the moment – wouldn't fix.
Bowsette and Junior navigated around the mess to their rooms to pick up some personal effects and Bowsette improved Junior's disguise with a scarf and some glasses. He looked adorable, but she didn't want to embarrass him by pointing that out.
"Are we gonna kidnap Mama Peach again, Mama?" Junior whispered.
Bowsette was quick to dismiss the idea. "No, Junior. I'm... I'm starting to think that maybe kidnapping Peach isn't the best idea anymore."
The quizzical look on the young koopa's face clearly illustrated how foreign that concept seemed to him. "What do you mean?"
She sighed. She was about to voice the thoughts that had been taking shape in her mind since returning from the Moon; something she didn't want to admit to herself, but that she now knew she'd have had to face sooner or later.
"Even if we kidnap Peach, the Mario brothers will just find some way to rescue her again, like they always do. And even if they didn't, Peach wouldn't be happy with us; not unless she was with us by choice."
Junior looked horrified. "But..."
He thought about it for a moment before looking up into Bowsette's eyes. "But Mama Peach makes you happy, doesn't she, Mama?"
She nodded, vaguely aware that there were tears forming in her eyes. "She does... but, I'd rather she be happy than me."
Junior was shedding tears of his own now, while he pulled his mama into a hug. "I'm sorry, Mama."
She gave him a squeeze. "I'm sorry, too, buddy."
"I love you, Mama." Junior whispered.
Bowsette felt a pang in her chest. "I love you too, Kiddo."
They stayed like that for a while, collecting themselves, before gathering the rest of their things.
Disguise in place and luggage ready, the group set off for Peach's castle.
Oooh, things are happening...
Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it and I'd love to hear what you thought of it!
Also, stay safe and stay indoors (If you're in lockdown right now, that is)!