Foreword: I think it's really funny that I actually thought I'd have Bowser's Birthday done by today. :P I've a feeling it's going to take me at LEAST two chapters more. (which is too bad if you've been excited for Mario's sidestory, because that one takes off "tomorrow", really)

Anyway- today marks CoH's second birthday! This is simply surreal...year one was like "wow this is old" but now, it feels like the story's taking on a life of its own. I keep worrying about this being the start of its terrible twos, or worrying about temper-tantrums now it's a "toddler". Seriously...that's kind of weird. :P Regardless, I'm very happy I've made it this far, and I'm still a bit in denial you all have to..for those unbelievably attractive and beautiful souls who have kept reading this for all these years...holy cow. :D

To celebrate, I did two things- I updated the fanart page on ebtwisty's homepage (go check it out!) with some of my own illustrations including Peach's gown design, as well as a beautiful piece of (rather old) fanart. Also, this chapter is basically a series of songfics...I don't really like songfics in the middle of not-song-fics, but since it's a ball, I made an exception. ;) Because of this, I'm saving Disclaimer for the Author's Note so the songs aren't given away. However, I suggest reading each section along with the music to add atmosphere. And sorry about this long foreword!

Even if you didn't know it was his birthday, your eyes were drawn to Bowser. He was almost as radiant as his date, without the added benefit of a shining gown. Bowser and Peach spun around like trained dancers, talking lightly with stars in their eyes. He would grin at her, she would titter back. They seemed oblivious to the scores of watchers, dancers that seemed there only to add atmosphere.

The gaiety didn't extend to Kammy's lonely table. She watched, her eyes glittering for a completely different reason. She took a sip of the drink in front of her, not even sure what it was. Why did it matter so much? So what if Peach was Bowser's date, so what if she wouldn't dance with him at all? Her king had his wish, her king was happy. Wasn't that all that mattered?

Kamek's eyes turned away from the dancing royalties for a second long enough to see Kammy sitting alone. He excused himself from dancing with the foreign koopa and walked towards the fellow magikoopa. "What are you doing sitting down?"

Kammy tossed her head towards Bowser. "No partner."

Kamek smiled mischievously and put out a hand towards her. "Says who?" He looked down at her, locking eyes as she offered a weak smile.

"Are you going to ask me to dance, Kamek?" Kammy smirked back, reminding him of the years they'd spent together in this palace. At a ball just like this, years ago, when Kammy was maddeningly persistent in dancing with her magikoopa friend.

"Would you like to dance, Kammy?" He whispered as she stared back. He noticed her eyes flicker towards the center of the ballroom and his heart caught slightly.

She sighed. "Since you asked." She stood up and took his hand, immediately surprised by the spin that Kamek used to bring her fully into the waltz. It took her a few moments to get adjusted to his speed and precision, not matching her melancholy attitude at all.

Kamek smiled as he watched his friend laugh lightly as she adjusted to his pace, her eyes focused on her feet…a better place, he thought, for them than the royalties, even if it wasn't on him. Finally, she shook her head up, her grey hair shaking. He noticed how it was conditioned to look elegant rather than ragged, matching her purple outfit that was also slightly more elegant than usual. He was proud to be dancing with her, but her smile eventually faded, her eyes distant and locking with the central couple every time she faced them.

"They really do make a sweet couple…" he told her quietly.

"Gold hair, with a gentle curl…" she murmured in response. "She looks as pretty as he is tonight."

Kamek's throat was clenching, but he tried to continue the conversation best he could. "They're radiant…I've never seen His Majesty this happy over something like dancing before."

Kammy seemed uneager to continue the waltz, so Kamek let her change the steps to match her desired position. She was silent. "This is the first time you haven't gone with him, isn't it?"

Kammy smiled and nodded, her eyes faraway as she mentioned, "He even took me for three of his married years…it's hard, now…Peach…"

"She's happy." Kamek whispered. "You have no idea how much Bowser wanted to see happiness from her because of him…how happy that makes him."

"Actually, Kamek," Kammy snapped, her icy eyes meeting his, "I do." The ice immediately melted and by the time Kamek had finished her spinning lift, Kammy's eyes were back on Bowser and Peach.

"If you want…Kammy…I can suggest Bowser give you a turn tonight…" He searched for something in her eyes to resemble gratitude, but that longed for moment flashed by all too soon.

"That wouldn't soften the ache I'd feel when…" Kammy sighed, swallowing something before finishing with a whispered, "when reality sets back in". She closed her eyes, grabbing Kamek's lapel and pulling herself closer to him.

Kamek frowned, looking down at Kammy's weak expression. He sighed. "I wish…"

"Don't wish." She chastised, pulling a little bit away from Kamek. "Don't even start." She glared into Kamek's eyes, her expression hard to read with a strange mix of compassion, anger, and sorrow. "Wishing…wishing only wounds the heart…trust me, I know." She shook her head and looked into Kamek's eyes.

"Hey. Kammy," Kamek started, directing her attention immediately. "Everyone has somebody, even if you don't figure out who they are. Don't get upset that Bowser has Peach- your life isn't going to change any. He's always wanted her, and wants her hardly any more now than he did when he was married. He'll still need you, just…for different reasons. He loves her so, but that doesn't mean you're useless. You're so…not…useless. You're an amazing girl."

Kammy nodded, looking at Kamek with a lump in her throat. "I know…but still…" Kammy sighed, looking over Kamek's shoulder as if they were dancing as happy as any couple on the floor. She looked at the happiest couple of all and her heart panged. I'm not that girl.

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After the long-winded and run-on-sentence-heavy magikoopa declared it time for dessert, Bowser grinned and grabbed Peach's hand. She could feel his pulse speed up in excitement as he pulled her up the stairs. She laughed, running to keep up with him as he bounced up the stairs. Obviously, the formal part of the evening was over, and even more obviously, Bowser was happy about it.

He kept hold of Peach's glove as he got to his same seat from before, Peach sitting down in a much more respectable manner, though she was still laughing. Her face was flushed from the hasty run to keep up with the bounding Koopa King. "Alright," Bowser boomed, "Bring on the Dessert!"

The delegates and attendees around them all tittered lightly, but Peach could see a few of them rolling their eyes or sighing. Kara, over in the corner, was downing what looked like an entire bottle of head-ache medicine. This somehow made her laugh even harder, and she was glad she had left her hair down for the night.

Bowser had his fists (and elbows) firmly on the table, grinning like a kid in the candy store as the waiter placed a huge bowl in front of him. Centered in the bowl was a ridiculously large mound of ice cream, surrounded by cookies, cakes, and other delicacies of all sorts and shapes. The waiter poured hot-fudge dramatically all over the bowl and finished with a dollop of some strange purple cream.

The same show, with food on a smaller scale, was preformed in front of Peach. The purple cream was replaced with a pink one that smelt strongly of…peaches. The princess giggled, a little surprised the pun hadn't come earlier. The waiter smirked in silent reply.

Bowser hadn't waited to eat like he had at dinner, and his hands were immediately in the bowl, mashing everything together like a blender. It was almost a shame- the food was arranged simply beautifully in what Peach was told to be an exact edible replica of Downtown VolcanoPalace City. It even included a few finely-detailed chocolate Bowsers amid the cake buildings.

Peach looked around her bowl for a utensil, but couldn't even find a spoon. She frowned. "Bowser, what am I-"

Peach stopped short of her sentence in complete shock at Bowser, shoveling the mostly brown blend into his mouth with his bare hands. He looked up at her, dessert dripping through his fingers and down his chin.

Peach laughed, finding it hard to keep a straight face. Bowser laughed back, unaware what was even funny, but Peach's laugh was utterly contagious. As he laughed, dessert spayed from his mouth all over the tablecloth, luckily not hitting Peach's gown. They laughed and laughed, attracting the attention of the delegates and family members down the table.

Soon, Peach was having trouble breathing, completely red in the face. She grabbed the glass of water in front of her and tried to drink it. Unfortunately, she looked up at Bowser, still laughing loud and long, still dripping with some unintelligible mix of desserts. She spit out the water and laughed again, scaring a few ladies from down the table. They screeched as the water splashed them, and then began to laugh as well. How did they expect to stay clean during this anyway?

It didn't take long for the entire table to be laughing almost as hysterically as Peach and Bowser, fistfuls of the beautifully crafted ice cream volcanoes being flung across the table. Cookies were being thrown like grenades, and Morton went as far as to dump his entire bowl on the head of his brother.

Through the spontaneous food fight and raucous laughter, the waiters (now donned in raincoats) were delivering more food to the guests to replace that which was lost, including bringing Morton an entirely new city of dessert.

Peach retreated to under the table, both in fear of getting her dress messed more than it already was, and also to try to catch her breath. Bowser retreated under the table as well, laughing in a continuous decrescendo with Peach, until finally they could speak.

"Follow me," Bowser said between low laughs. He put out a claw, and Peach quickly took it, letting him whisk her away from under the table. Luckily, the guests were too preoccupied with each other and the flying desserts to notice Bowser grab an untouched bowl of dessert with one hand and Peach with the other and steal them both away.

"Where…where are we going?" Peach asked amid her own continuous laughter.

"Here!" Bowser said as he stopped abruptly. On the wall he was facing, a meticulously painted mural showed several koopas rushing through a beautiful garden gate. Peach was questioning Bowser's sanity for just a second as he reached for the painted gate handle, but was shocked to see it was so realistic because it was real.

He swung the door that seamlessly melded with the mural open to expose to Peach a hidden broom-closet, filled with equipment for keeping the huge ballroom clean and mysteriously glowing without a light source. "Go in and turn left," he commanded.

"Are you sure?" Peach questioned, looking into the dark closet and seeing nothing but rags, mops, and cleaning substances.

"This is where I go when I'm sick of these type of things…come on, before someone sees us and brings us back!"

Peach laughed at the odd statement and rushed in, her heels clicking on the dusty floor. When she turned left at the back of the closet, the room's light source was very apparent. It was another broom-closet hallway toward the main power-source Bowser had shown her…had it really been four days ago?

Bowser came behind her, still laughing a bit with the dessert bowl in his hand. "This is far enough from the lava that you should be fine."

She smiled and took a cookie out of the bowl, dipping some ice cream onto it and taking a bite. Her eyes rolled back in delight as she savored its sweetness. Bowser watched her with adoring eyes and a tender smile, but then quickly frowned. "I guess I should have gotten two bowls. I never eat this like civilized people do."

Peach giggled. "I'm fine if you want to mix it, Bowser. Today is your birthday." She laughed at his delighted expression as he began to mix it again, spraying some chocolate out of the bowl as he went.

Peach squealed, but then just gave a defeated laugh. "This dress…it's so beautiful, but now its got chocolate and dirt and who knows what else all over it. I'm afraid I don't look as pretty as I should in it."

Bowser glared at Peach, almost angry. "What are you saying? I love you, and the way you look tonight. Including the gown under the chocolate and the chocolate on top." Peach smiled softly, with a hint of sorrow still on her face. He smiled softly back, "You're lovely, with your smile so warm…" Peach smiled a bit more, blushing just slightly as Bowser gently put his chocolately hand on her cheek, "and your cheeks so soft…I love you, especially the way you look tonight."

Peach's heart was overflowing, spilling some sort of sweet liquid warmth over the butterflies in her stomach, choking up her throat. "Bowser," she started, but her throat wouldn't let her say what intelligible muck her heart was yelling. "You're making me even messier."

With each word, even if they weren't those Peach wanted to say or Bowser wanted to hear, the tenderness between them grew, tearing fear apart. Bowser laughed a little bit, Peach laughing in response. "And that laugh!" Bowser started, laughing a bit himself as his eyes shown with love. "That laugh, that wrinkles your nose…" He couldn't finish either, and they both laughed a bit more.

It wasn't long before the dessert being shared by hand reached the same fate as those in the ball room. Peach had taken off her gloves to eat the dessert, and they both had dessert in their hands, chasing each other around the dimply lit room, laughing hysterically.

Peach bent over to catch her breath, and Bowser seized the moment to catch her in his arms. She gasped in surprise, and Bowser used the seconds of her open mouth to smear some dessert into it. Laughing, Peach spat most of it out, swallowing the rest. She spun around, still in his arms, and smacked his chest, leaving a chocolate handprint. Bowser laughed, his signature laugh that Peach had heard so often this week, she had began to think of it as her laugh, not his frightening laugh of evil.

He cocked an eyebrow as he looked straight down at her happy face. His expression melted into a toothy smile, and he took a rare clean finger to gently wipe of the chocolate he had left on her cheek earlier. He wiped it slower than he probably had to, but as Peach's eyes were closed and her smile just slightly open, he decided she didn't mind.

Bowser licked his finger clean, and then smiled back down at Peach. "Never, ever change," Bowser whispered to Peach. She wished he would stop whispering so close to her… his voice was too husky and made her mind spin in ways no mind should. And yet, the whispering continued, "'cause I love you…just the way you look tonight."

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Morton grinned at the back of Iggy's head, watching crumbs and goop drip out of it. He took a deep breath before shouting, "BWAHAHA. You're such a-"

Iggy spun around, his glasses practically steamed from the fire in his twitching eyes. With just that look, he silenced Morton, and then spun back around, making sure to get as much of the dessert debris to fling from his Mohawk into Morton's face.

The koopalings, along with all the other dinner guests, were in line for the attention of the magikoopas. Kammy, Kamek, and a few others including the one in black robes all stood at the top of the stairs. With one sweep of their wands, the guest would instantly be reverted to their appearance before the fiasco, and then proceeded down the stairs.

Wendy, just behind Morton, sighed loudly and tapped her foot impatiently. Of all the guests, she had avoided contact with food the best and looked cleaner even than some of those who had the stains magically removed. However, she also seemed the most upset about the ordeal. "Would you boys hurry up? Like, seriously. Some of us actually care about how we look."

"Complaining won't win you the race, Wendy!" Lemmy laughed from a line away.

Wendy rolled her eyes and spat at Lemmy, "Yeah, because I'm totally racing you. It's what I've been looking forward to all night. Be quiet, idiot." Just then, she felt one of the spikes on her shell being tugged. Angrily, she spun around and shouted at Bowser Jr, "What?"

"Look, I found Mama Peach!" Junior pointed at the wall just a few yards away, Peach chatting with Bowser as he seemed to rubbing it, almost like he was trying to cover something up.

"What's she doing over there?" Larry asked, having overheard Junior from behind Lemmy.

"And why was she with King Dad so long?" Morton grumbled, thankfully not trying to attach a poorly-constructed insult to his question.

Wendy bit the inside of her cheek as she too tried to figure the situation out. "Well…her dress seems just fine…"

Rolling his eyes, Junior corrected, "no, it's covered in junk. She needs to get cleaned up just as bad as Iggy."

Wendy rolled her eyes right back. "That's, like, not what I meant. She obviously didn't-" After gasping, Wendy's eyes went wide and her lips seemed to disappear.

"She didn't what? Wendy! Didn't what?" Junior pestered, tugging on her spike again.

"Do you mind, Junior?" Wendy sneered, ignoring his question.

Iggy glared at Wendy over his shoulder, hissing, "way to be obvious, Wendy."

"You were thinking it too!" She accused, glaring back.

"Thinking whaaaat?" Junior begged.

Wendy spun around on her heels again, peeling a cookie that was plastered to Junior's face off. She stuffed it in his mouth and hissed, "Thinking that you need to, like, totally shut up. Mmkay?" Junior glared at Wendy, but was silent as he took out the cookie and started eating it.

Iggy watched his father and Peach get into line with everyone else, Bowser pushing the guests aside and propelling Peach forward in line. He grinned, glad to not only be distracted from Wendy's immaturity but also get to watch the two interact.

Peach shook her head lightly, smiling at Bowser. "Just take your time, now…" she told him, pulling him back to where they should be in line.

Bowser pointed to the magikoopas and Peach shook her head again. Bowser grinned at Peach. "You want to stay for awhile?"

"Well…we don't need to cut in line, Bowser…we'll be fine."

"You just want to spend more time with me, don't you?" He smirked at the light-hearted accusation.

"Yes," Peach laughed back, "You make me smile. Please, stay here for awhile." She laughed again, but the smile plastered on her face didn't seem to portray it as a joke.

Bowser smiled warmly, whispering, "okay," and he wrapped his arms around her.

Peach was a little too comfortable, feeling his natural warmth. Yet, these were feelings that she adored…she could feel tingles, starting in her toes and going all the way up to the top of her head, until it made her crinkle her nose with more laughter. "Just take your time…" she whispered, double meaning pounding in her heart…

Bowser squeezed her a bit more, before slowly releasing his hold. He laughed, a little bit to relieve the stress they were both feeling…those bubbly feelings of anxiety.

The cold was almost piercing to Peach when Bowser's warmth left her, but she couldn't retreat back to his arms…she…just couldn't. And yet when those feelings where gone…wherever they went…she always knew. She knew…but at the same time, didn't know at all.

Wendy fluttered her claws to her chest and sighed dramatically. Bowser Junior glared up at her gooey, practically love struck face and hissed, "what is it now, Wendy?"

Her eyes rolled, ruining her façade completely, and she hissed, "It's Dad and Peach. Look at them. You're, like, supposed to be my partner in this thing, and you don't even know what love is. Like, seriously."

Junior frantically spun around, about to shout in joy, but Wendy smacked her claw over his mouth in anticipation. It didn't stay there long as she pulled it back, screeching "eww!" and smearing the gooey mess she had picked up back onto Junior. "You're disgusting, Junior. And no, they're not in love. Yet. That's, like, our job. But look at your Mama Peach…he's got her acting like a child, now. He's keeping her dry and warm, and she's making him smile. It's-"

"What are you talking about?"

"I just…mmm." Wendy had reverted back to her gooey, charmed expression, watching them in adoration. "The feeling starts in the soul…then you loose all control…"

"Are you still talking about Mama Peach and Bowser?"

Wendy glared back at Junior and turned around. She hissed, "You just don't get it," and said nothing else.

Junior frowned, and turned back to look at Peach and Bowser. Peach's hand was uncomfortably holding her other hand, as if it wished to be somewhere else. Bowser snaked his between the two gloves and smirked down at the princess. Junior saw Peach avert her eyes from Bowser's, although her face lit up and he had made her smile…if only just for awhile.

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The dance floor had been shaking for awhile now…not because the volcano was erupting, but because Bowser's guests had been jumping up and down so much. They dancing and shouted, women constantly fighting to keep their elegant gowns and high-heeled shoes on correctly while the men tried to out dance each other.

Peach laughed and laughed, then needlessly excused herself from the almost-moshpit to take a breather. She broke out, taking a deep breath and wiping her face. The princess spotted the dessert buffet, with a large punchbowl taking center stage. Smiling, Peach hurried over.

By the time she had poured herself a glass, the music changed to a slower, calmer kind of dance music. Bowser's shape was clear (as he was several heads taller than many of his koopa guests) as he broke towards Peach. She smiled and shook her head lightly, hoping to answer his unspoken question. Hoarsely, she shouted over the music, "I'm sitting this one out, Bowser."

Apparently ignoring Peach, Bowser had lumbered all the way over to the table where others were also filling up their glasses with red punch. He put out a claw, and with raised eyebrows asked, "you sure? It's a bit slower…"

Peach put her free hand into Bowser's, but remained adamant. "Yeah, I'm sure…Tell you what. First real slow song you can take me back out. By then I should have my breath…maybe even my voice!"

Bowser chuckled; he ran his thumbclaw over Peach's gloved hand, sitting comfortably in his own. "There won't be a slow song until after the break-dance thing, Peachy."

Peach opened her mouth to reply, but closed it when she noticed a queue of women behind Bowser. "You know…" she started, as quiet as she could over the loud music, "it looks like you've still got plenty of partners to choose from until then."

Peach pulled her hand out of Bowser's and turned her back to him, signaling to the women behind him that their conversation was over and they could now vulture. The mushroom princess couldn't help but hold her glass where she could see Bowser's contorted reflection and watch the women.

She watched as a rather large, wealthy -looking koopa woman exuberantly greeted him, taking him out to the dance floor to rejoin the crowd with her. Peach smiled faintly, looking over her shoulder until she couldn't see him anymore. Suddenly, the idea to catch her breath for a few songs seemed very stupid.

A female toady, wearing a draping red gown that exposed her bouncy blonde curls situated herself next to the princess. "Enjoying yourself, Peach?" As Peach turned to answer her, she thought it amusing how…normal…the koopas all looked when they weren't in battle clothes. In fact, the only way Peach could tell the toady apart from any magikoopa there that night was her thick glasses and buckteeth.

"Yeah, I am, actually." Peach answered, still looking for Bowser's form among his people.

"You know, I'm actually a big fan of yours."

"Really?" Peach brought her full attention to the toady, feeling guilty for forgetting her rules of conversation etiquette with a 'fan'.

"Died my hair like yours, even!" She lightly laughed with Peach. "I'm honestly surprised you're here with Bowser. I mean, I want him to be happy as much as anyone, but after learning so much about you, I always thought it'd be…oh…I guess a pipe dream of his to accompany you here. I don't mean to be awkward…"

"Oh no, don't worry. I wouldn't have imagined myself here, either." Peach laughed, giggling politely until it faded meaningfully. She looked off towards his shape again, talking with all those who found him amid the uproarious dancing. "But…he's different than I always imagined."

"Oh? How so?"

"There's something sweet…almost kind…but you see, I always saw him as mean, and …coarse, and…just so unrefined."

"He's a little of all of those things," the toady commended, taking a sip of her own punch.

Peach smiled as she nodded. "I only ever saw the Bowser he wanted people to see…the one he wanted them to fear. But now he's dear, and so…unsure."

"Unsure?"

Peach nodded again, glancing from the Toady's curious expression back to Bowser's- he had found a partner he was much happier with now. "You'd be surprised!" Peach sipped a bit of punch and kept watching Bowser. She finally added, "I wonder why I never saw it there before…"

Bowser, dancing a whole floor away, looked over his shoulder to catch Peach's staring eye. Suddenly she turned her head to talk to the toady next to her. "What is it, sire?" Kamella, his current partner, asked.

"She glanced this way…" Bowser murmured, excitedly. He looked back over towards her, but her eyes were firmly on the toady's glasses. "I thought I saw…"

"You think she has eyes for you?" Kamella crackled, her slowly aging voice not suited for the lively dancing and loud music.

"Of course!" Bowser grunted, "Who wouldn't?"

"Sire, I have ears within those of your closest counterparts. I know when the princess shudders within your grasp and under your capture and how you feel not as she and she not as thou."

Bowser pouted down at Kamella. "I don't know what that's supposed to even mean. But you should know- when we touched, she didn't shudder at my claw."

Kamella shook her head, her ratty hair going every which way. "It can't be. You should ignore." Bowser glared down at the pessimistic magikoopa, and they both chanced a look at Peach, who had returned to watching the koopa king from afar. "But then…she's never looked at you that way before."

Back at the dessert table, Peach had finally learned the Toady's name. Giselle, who was more than pleased to gossip with the princess about her king, was very willing to help distract her. "So, do you love him?"

"What?" Peach asked, almost spitting a bit of her punch into her cup.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean…I mean…stupid question, I just…"

"Oh no…don't apologize…there's no such thing as a stupid question when fueled by good intentions. It's just…do you mean Bowser?"

"Well, of course! I know you don't love Mario."

Peach laughed a little bit. Such a strange situation, such an odd turn of events! "Oh, I don't?"

"Obviously. I knew I knew a lot about you, but I had no clue I knew more about you than you did. For instance, the way you're looking at His Majesty tonight…you've never once looked at Mario that way. So, do you love Bowser?"

"I…no…of course not…" Peach shook her head a bit, clearing foreign thoughts that had again began to plague it. She tried to look away from Bowser, but his happy side-glances towards her were too irresistible, even in this awkward situation.

"Oh…okay then."

"Hey," Peach suddenly accused, playfully putting her hands on her puffed-up hips. "I thought you were surprised I came with him. And yet you thought we were in love?"

The Toady shrugged, making a hand gesture of nonchalance. "Things change. Feelings, hearts, whatever. I mean, you must have realized you've changed…at least a little."

Peach looked back towards Bowser, smiling as he caught her eye this time. "Yeah…I've noticed. It's like…It's very new…a bit alarming, actually. I mean, we're not in love, obviously, but…I'm happy when I'm with Bowser. Who'd have ever thought that that could be?"

Giselle laughed a bit as she nodded. "He's definitely not your usual type."

Peach laughed back. With impeccable timing, Bowser had clearly just stomped on someone's foot as they howled in pain; almost audibly over the music. "True; he's no prince charming. But, there's definitely something about him…something in him that I simply didn't see…"

Giselle looked from Peach, lost in her gaze, to Bowser. Herself, the toady could barely see the koopa king. But from Peach's ever changing expression, she clearly had a perfect view. "Yeah," she agreed, "There's something there that wasn't there before…" Peach hardly even heard Giselle's comment, but it didn't really matter. She wasn't talking about Bowser anyway.

Author's Note: Here's the disclaimer I just know you were all miserable about not having earlier. I do not own any characters except Giselle in this chapter, not even Kamella. Those characters are all the brilliant brain children of Nintendo. In fact, I do not own a few of the words in this chapter...they are lyrics and from(respectively) "I'm not that Girl" from Wicked, "The Way you Look Tonight" by Frank Sinatra, "Bubbly" by Coco Callait, and "Something There" from Disney's The Beauty and the Beast.

Hope you were okay with the style-switch up. And Happy Birthday, CoH! Thanks for staying with me for two years, or for not screaming and running in horror when you realized it's taken me this long to write twenty-something chapters! I love you all to death. C:

-Razzi