Chapter Thirty-Five

*VVVUUUMMM SQUI-POP!*

Bowser moved his arm from over his eyes cautiously so he could look around the chapel. A flash of light lit the room and a tornado-like whirlwind took hold of a stunned Queen Stefani. Slowly, the wind sucked the shrieking Koopa Queen into a long vacuum hose and out of sight. The rest of her goonies scattered around the room in a state of panic.

*CHACK!*

Another blinding flash illuminated the room and two more ghosts were caught by the vacuum.

"Woooaa he ha! Woaaoa ahh!" A short old man wearing a lab coat and thick circular glasses held onto the vacuum for dear life as the ghost fought to get away, dragging him around the room wildly. A few minutes later, the room had been cleared of all ghosts and the entrance to the chapel had been unsealed.

Bowser gave a sigh of relief and allowed himself to fall onto his side with a loud thud.

"Lord Bowser!" Kamek cried as he popped into the chapel and found Bowser lying on his side. As quickly as the Magikoopa had come, a floating stretcher materialized under Bowser and lifted him gently from the floor. "Gad! The King is injured! Take care of the painting while I take him to the..."

"Take me out of this room... and I'll gut you like a Cheep Cheep," Bowser warned him malevolently, pushing himself up with his elbow until he was in a sitting position. He winced as he slid off of the floating stretcher and stood on his feet. He slouched in pain as he stood beside Peach's cocooned body.

"Is that... the princess?" Kamek asked in shock. Bowser nodded, picked her up from the floor, and laid her down on the stretcher.

"Suku suku! I am too old for these kinds of shenanigans!" Professor E. Gad exclaimed and handed his vacuum hose to Bowser with a bubbly laugh. "Hold this. We'll get her out in a jiffy! Though, you might want to shut your eyes. Who knows what state she is in..." Bowser opened his mouth to protest but the hose gave a sharp jerk as the old man flipped a switch on the vacuum.

The cocoon shuttered and strands of hair began to loosen until a thick lock of Queen Stefani's golden hair whipped free and got sucked into the hose. The cocoon began to spin and unwind rapidly. Suddenly, the last lock of hair untangled from around Peach's waste and flung her into the air. Dropping the hose, Bowser stretched out his arms and caught her before she hit the floor.

"AHHH! Turn it off!" Kamek screeched as the hose latched onto his clothes, but Professor E. Gad and Bowser were both too preoccupied with the princess to notice his pleas for help.

"Pea..Princess, are you okay?" Bowser asked in a worried tone. His eyes studied her body thoroughly. She didn't seem to have any injuries. He tried to move her so he could see her face but she hid it in the crook of his arm. "Princess?"

She shivered in his arms and refused to show her face. Bowser looked at Professor E. Gad in confusion, but the old man only shrugged and said, "I've never been good with women. Yabbo yabbo!"

Bowser groaned. "Kamek. Take us to... Dammit, you old twit." Kamek's clothes were ripping to shreds by the powerful vacuum and his arms were being sucked into the tube. The king stepped on the hose firmly and then kicked the old Magikoopa with his other foot.

*Fooop!*

"Gahhhhh!" Kamek flew across the room, smacked into the golden painting, and fell onto the altar with a loud crash.

The massive piece of artwork tilted and fell from its place on the wall.

The moment the painting had been removed, the rest of the room began to delapidate before their eyes. Dust covered every surface, furniture started falling apart, the stone walls and the black-stoned columns began to crumble, and the once polished floors shook.

"Ohhh ho ho! Looks like we have overstayed our welcome! Grab your shorts and run!" Gad yelled to them as he waddled hastily for the exit.

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"King Koopa, given your current condition, I do not think it wise for you to be out of bed. It will be a month or two before your injuries..." Professor E. Gad stated thoughtfully.

"I've been through worse," Bowser answered as he casually sat in a large lazy boy chair farthest from the fireplace. Both Kamek and Professor E. Gad pulled a few more chairs up and made themselves comfortable as well. The group fell silent as they sat in their chairs and listened to the crackling of the fire. The castle library was the most neglected and, incidentally, the most peaceful room in the castle. It smelled musty and dry like the books it held and the lights above them were in desperate need of dusting. "Where is she?"

"On her way, I'm sure," the professor sighed as he straightened the thin tuft of hair that stuck out of the very top of his head.

*Creeaaak*

The princess stood elegantly in the open doorway and nodded her head to the gentlemen politely. Kamek raised his glass to her, Gad waved good-naturedly, and Bowser winked while puckering his lips at her. Her face paled slightly when her eyes came to him, but her gracious smile never faltered. She walked into the room with a carefully paced step. Not too long or too short and just quick enough to make it seem like she was somewhat glad to be there. Gracefully, she seated herself into the last open seat beside the fire and sat with perfect posture.

"How are you feeling, Princess?" Professor E. Gad asked curiously.

"Perfectly adequate," Peach said happily. Bowser snorted into his claw and she threw him a disapproving look. The professor studied them over the rim of his circular spectacles and sat further back into his seat.

"That's... very unusual. Good! But unusual," he muttered thoughtfully. "After studying each of the ghosts we captured, it is a miracle that you survived being encased in Stefani's hair. Even more astounding, is the fact that you escaped Vincent's paintings at all."

Peach's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "That's the name of the artist that painted for Queen Stefani! How did you know...?"

"I have been searching for Vincent Van Gore for years. He is well known for his living portraits and portal paintings," the old man answered.

"Wait... Searching? You say that as if he is..."

"Alive? No, he is most definitely dead and has been for hundreds of years. However, he immortalized himself in one of his portraits and turned himself into a ghost. Even now, he is probably still out there creating his 'masterpieces'."

"So he sealed the Queen's soul into the portrait and... 'immortalized' her? Is that why she went mad and died at a young age?" Peach asked. Kamek and Bowser both looked at Gad curiously.

"That seems to be... the pattern. You see, there are a lot of people who are afraid of what comes next after death or they have unfinished business they want to stay for. In order to avoid passing on, they pay Vincent Van Gore to paint their souls into his portraits so their spirits stay tethered to this plane of Existence. However, this procedure comes with a heavy price. When someone gives up their soul, they leave their body behind and give up whatever life they had left. Most of Vincent's clients didn't want to give their whole souls. They just wanted to live for as long as possible and then stay on this plane of Existence after they died. So... Vincent gave them what they wanted.

"Instead, of taking the whole soul, he only took half of it. The first half of a soul would be left inside the client's body so they could continue living their mortal life. The second half would be painted into a portrait. After the client's died 'naturally', the first half would disappear to... who knows where... and the second half of their soul would remain on this plane of Existence as a ghost. It was the perfect plan! Until it wasn't. By taking half of a soul, their body was left half empty and very unstable. Some of the clients would lose their minds, others would become severely sick... but all of them died soon after Vincent split their souls.

"The half of the soul that had been painted was never quite the same either. With half of the soul, Vincent could only take half of their personality, memories, and consciousness. They were never fully themselves. Of course, as a true artist, Vincent has continued perfecting his art. He has tried all sorts of different techniques to get the souls to become as flawless as possible. So far, his half-souled ghosts seem to be able to converse and complete small tasks. However, when they are left to themselves, they tend to act in a repetitive manner. I have a ghost at home who, when left to himself, stands at the window and spies on my neighbors day and night."

"That's awful..." Peach muttered.

"Actually, he is a very good ally to have. Creepy? Maybe... Useful? Absolutely! Neighbors are much more avoidable when you have their habits and routines mapped out. Yabbo yabbo!" Gad chuckled.

"No. I mean... it seems like an awful way to exist," Peach explained.

"Ah, yes. Ghosts with only half of their souls tend to have morbid existences. However, ghosts who have their whole soul are a completely different matter. Vincent, for example, is a whole ghost and he has no trouble creating just as much trouble in death as he did when he was alive," Professor E. Gad shook his head tiredly.

"Sorry to change the subject, but why were you so surprised that the princess was feeling well?" Kamek cut in curiously.

"Because the paint Vincent uses draws the soul out of the body," Bowser answered, staring at Peach gravely. "That's why we never found any of the servants that fell into Queen Stefani's paintings."

Peach met his gaze with wide eyes, "The Yoshis? The Shyguys and Koopas?" Bowser's eyes studied her for a moment.

"You were in the cocoon when they appeared. Could you see...?" the king began to ask, but Peach turned her eyes away from him quickly and turned her attention to Gad.

"Those ghosts were real people?"

Professor E. Gad nodded his head and then leaned forward in his chair, "That's why we need your complete honesty. How did you survive being encased in Vincent's paint?" The princess lifted her head and found that all of their eyes were on her.

"There is an old spell my mother taught me when I was a little girl... A simple cleansing spell that would keep me clean even if I was surrounded by dirt. It's the reason why my makeup, hair, and clothes always look perfect. As long as I am conscious of my own appearance the spell will stay in place," Peach explained quietly.

"This spell... Can anyone use it?" Gad asked with a frown.

The princess bit her lip, "Only if they have the ability to wield magic." The professor turned his eyes up to the ceiling and sat back in his chair. The room was silent, but no one moved to break it.

*BEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEP!*

Professor E. Gad jumped in his seat and looked around frantically. "Darwin's beard! Is someone attacking us?!"

Bowser chuckled. "Sounds like Mario found my decoy. He's gonna be so pissed when he finds out the princess is in another castle! Gwa ha!" Peach gave an exasperated sigh and got up from her chair.

"Is there anything else I can help you with, Professor?" Peach asked kindly. He gave her a small smile and shook his head.

"No. I am a man of science with very little aptitude for magic. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me a copy of the spell so I can keep it on record," he answered.

Peach nodded, "I would be more than happy to." With that, she gave a well-practiced curtsy and bid the group goodnight. Bowser watched her leave and rubbed his hand against the lower half of his face thoughtfully.

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"Hello, Princess. Out for an evening stroll?" Bowser smirked. Peach flinched away from the sound of his voice. She had been reading the castle map in the moonlight, trying to find her way to her personal chambers in the dark hallways.

"I-I just felt like getting a snack from the kitchens," Peach stammered nervously. The king chuckled and took the map from her hands.

"You know you have room service, right?"

"It's late and I didn't want to be a bother..." she looked away and began playing with a strand of her hair.

"Admit it, Princess. You got lost the moment you left the library." Bowser waved the map in front of her face and took it away when she tried to grab it from his claw. "You've been avoiding me," he stated with mock hurt.

"N-no! Of course not! I just... haven't been feeling well! Professor E. Gad told me that I should rest after everything that happened," she answered anxiously.

"Mmmm yes. He told me. He also told me that you seemed a little... on edge," Bowser smiled impishly at her, took her hand in his claw and kissed it while keeping his eyes on her. If eyes could start a fire, his could burn the castle down. "I wonder why that is?"

Peach's face paled and a shiver ran down her spine. "I h-have no idea what you are tal..."

"Do you remember our deal?" he asked in a low voice, playing will her fingers reverently.

"...yes," Peach said weakly. A small squeak escaped her mouth as Bowser twisted her hand in his and pulled her into his arms with an eager expression on his face. The princess cringed in his embrace as he used his thumb to lift her chin up at the right angle. She closed her eyes tight and felt her whole body begin to shake as she felt him lean closer. His breath was hot and smelled strongly of mint.

Was this really going to be her first kiss? Taken from her by callous and greedy lips. She had been saving her first kiss for someone kind and gentle like... Mario. Would he be disappointed or maybe even disgusted if he found out that she had been kissed by Bowser?

She didn't know how long she stood there, dreading Bowser's kiss. It was coming, she was sure of it. He was so close...

Peach felt him nudge her cheek gently with his nose and let her go. She opened her eyes and watched in disbelief as he began walking down the hallway he had come from.

"... I don't understand," the princess muttered.

"Kamek was the one that took the painting off the wall. I only nudged him in the right direction... Your chambers are down the hall to the left," Bowser stated flatly, not bothering to stop or look at her. Peach touched her cheek with the tips of her fingers.

"B-Bowser!" Peach called down the hall. The dark figure at the end of the dimly lit hallway hesitated and came to a halt. "You can call me 'Peach" i-if you like."

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Three Months Later

A massive white box with a glittery pink bow sat proudly on Bowser's Castle steps. It came with a note.

Dear Bowser,

Thank you for everything!

~Peach

Bowser grinned at the note, ran up to the box, and pulled on the gigantic pink bow. Immediately, the ties on the box loosened and all four sides fell to the ground. At the very front of the box sat a badass looking monster kart with spikes and a mean toothy grin painted on the front. Behind the kart sat a cake the size of a small house. On the top tier, Peach had drawn herself with Bowser, Professor E. Gad, and Kamek. The second layer had been decorated with a bunch of golden ghosts and the third layer had the words, "Thank you, Bowser!" piped in pink cursive letters.

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Peach smiled as she studied the painting in the ballroom. Lifting her hand, she drew her fingers gently across the paint. It was Bowser's flag insignia but painted in blood-red with a charcoal-black backdrop. Black words were etched into the bright yellow picture frame, "Suck it."

The princess coughed as she read the inscription and covered her mouth as her shoulders shook.

"Are you okay, Princess?" her nurse asked, in a slightly worried voice.

"Absolutely," Peach answered with a laugh. "I love this painting. I think it fits this room perfectly."

The nurse quirked an eyebrow at her and then lifted her eyes to the painting. The yellow clashed terribly with the gold moldings on the ballroom walls and the blocky insignia made no artistic sense when compared with the intricate floor patterns.

"Do you mind getting me a glass of water? My throat is feeling a little dry," Peach asked politely. The nurse nodded and left Peach by herself in the ballroom. A small smile lit her features and she sat back in her chair lazily.

"You only acted like you were going to marry me to provoke Stefani. You wanted to draw her out of the painting so Professor E. Gad could capture her," the princess spoke out loud.

Her words were only answered by silence.

"How did you tell Kamek that we needed Gad?" she asked, speaking a little louder this time.

"Sign language. I learned it when Lemmy was born. The doctors believed that he wouldn't have the mental capacity to learn how to speak properly," a deep voice answered from somewhere behind her. Peach smiled a little but stayed sitting forward.

"Did you mean what you said that day?" Peach asked.

... A moment of silence passed.

"I'm the best bad guy in the universe. I don't have to lie to be hated," Bowser finally answered. Peach twisted herself around and looked at the doorway.

He was already gone.

Creative Question:

Has Bowser's blood always been red?