Bowser felt Kamek's eyes on him constantly over the next few days. It was annoying; he felt like he was a child again and the old magikoopa needed to watch him to make sure he didn't get himself killed accidentally. He had already told Kamek that he didn't need to be monitored; he wasn't going to do anything stupid like sneak off to Peach's castle all on his own. But the magikoopa was worried about him, and the more Bowser thought about it, the more he grudgingly had to admit that it was warranted.

That didn't mean he seriously intended to go to the Mushroom Kingdom and launch an attack all by himself, but the idea tempted him. He was simmering with frustration and his anger had no outlet, instead feeding back into itself in a deadly circuit. He wanted to fight, to crush some of Peach's pathetic bodyguards and maybe Mario as well. Dammit. I'm gonna go crazy if I don't do something soon.

He tried to work off some of his frustration by sparring with his minions, but that idea quickly went out the window after he unintentionally broke a Hammer Bro's arm. He was too strong for them. His temper was running so high that he almost killed Kamek one evening upon realising that the magikoopa had slipped a calming potion into his drink.

'It was for the best, my lord,' Kamek wheezed as he sidestepped the chair Bowser hurled at him. 'You're going to end up hurting yourself if this keeps up.'

'And what am I supposed to do about it?' Bowser roared back. 'I'm bored, Kamek! I haven't invaded the Mushroom Kingdom in a week and I've got nothing to do except walk around my castle and eat food!'

'Well, sire... walking around your castle and eating food was all you were doing before Luigi came, and you seemed to have no problem with it then.'

Bowser hesitated. Then he slowly placed the second chair he'd been about to throw back on the floor.

'Yeah, you're right,' he said thoughtfully. It didn't make him any happier, but maybe understanding the root of his frustration would help him deal with it. 'I'm bored because I'm used to having the little green weakling around. He might've been an idiot, but at least he provided some entertainment around here.'

'Perhaps you just need to find someone else to spend your time with, sire. After all, you have no real friends here in the castle. At least, none who you consider to be friends.'

Bowser eyed him suspiciously. Since the day Luigi had escaped, Kamek hadn't mentioned anything about friends, likely because he thought that the King might incinerate him if he brought it up. But now that the subject had been brought up, he found himself more intrigued than annoyed.

He turned back to the dinner table and started nonchalantly chewing on a piece of chicken, mostly to reassure the magikoopa that he wasn't going to incinerate him. 'Is that what you really think I need, Kamek?' he asked with his mouth full. 'A friend?'

Kamek nodded, looking relieved. 'It does seem like a good idea, my lord. I know that you were... attached to Luigi, but he's gone now, and let's face it – there was probably no chance he would have stayed here forever.'

Bowser swallowed the piece of meat and looked at Kamek curiously. 'So you knew all along?'

'No!' said the magikoopa hastily. 'I never knew. I only guessed. And I didn't want to bring it up with you, given that... well... that is...'

'Spit it out already!'

'I liked seeing you happy,' Kamek finished, frowning. 'Even though I suspected that Luigi would not stay forever... it was quite nice to see you, my lord, forming a real friendship with someone. And I didn't dare take that happiness away from you.'

Bowser stared at the half-finished piece of chicken in his hand, momentarily stunned into speechlessness. All this time. All this time, perhaps from the moment he'd taken Luigi prisoner, Kamek had known things he hadn't. And he hadn't said anything. Then the King found his voice.

'Since you know so much about this,' he growled, 'tell me what I should do now. And tell me the truth!'

Kamek tilted his head. 'You overestimate me, my lord. I don't know everything about the situation. I simply noticed... certain things that you didn't.'

'Yeah, but you obviously still know more than me!'

'So you want me to make a decision as to how you should act next? Knowing, and understanding fully, that I might be wrong?'

Bowser considered for a moment. 'Whatever decision you make is probably better than whatever I could come up with,' he said grudgingly. 'I'm here to burn things and beat up losers – you're here to do the hard work, like thinking.'

A quiet chuckle came from the magikoopa. 'Well said, sire... Well, here's what I believe you should do next. Send Luigi a letter.'

The piece of chicken fell onto the table with a thud. 'Send him a letter? Why?'

'Because,' said Kamek, 'before he left, Luigi was beginning to see you in the same way you saw him. As a friend. Oh, at first he was terrified of you, of course. But as time passed, he grew used to you – especially when you started treating him well. My, I still remember when you carried him to the hospital hall to heal his leg after I, erm, accidentally injured him. He grew to like your company, and eventually, to trust you.' Kamek paused briefly, while Bowser just sat in silence, letting the words sink in. 'Even though he left you, I do suspect that he would still be open to being your friend. If you're not threatening his brother or girlfriend's lives then I'm sure he'd be much more charitable towards you.'

Bowser barked out a harsh laugh, unable to stop himself. 'Oh yeah, sounds like a great plan. Send him a letter. "Hi Luigi, I attacked you, broke your leg, kept you in a dungeon for two days, insulted your girlfriend, and tried to kill your girlfriend and brother in front of you, but hey, wanna be buddies?" That'll definitely go over well.'

Kamek huffed out an exasperated sigh. 'You already did most of those things before he started thinking of you as a friend; it didn't change the fact that he did.'

Bowser grunted, resting his chin on his hand and gazing blankly across the table, lost in thought. He was torn. On one hand, if he did what Kamek suggested and attempted to contact Luigi again, then he would look weak – a weak and lonely excuse for a King, seeking companionship from his own enemy because said enemy was the only person who showed any interest in him. On the other hand, if he didn't... then what would happen? Would he keep on living this way forever? He wasn't sure if he could. In just a few short days, he had learned what it felt like to have a friend, something he'd never really had before. He didn't like the idea of going through the rest of his life without having that feeling again.

He heaved out a long, despairing sigh which, for whatever reason, made Kamek smile knowingly.

'OK, fine,' he grumbled. 'I'll send the guy a stupid letter. I'll talk to him. I'll bet you fifty coins that he doesn't even reply.'

Kamek, who he doubted even owned fifty coins to wager, just smiled more widely and nodded his head. 'Then I hope you weren't saving up for anything, sire.'