Chapter 9: Danger!
"It's right behind that star," Junior said pointing to a fair sized sun. It took only about 30 minutes to travel to the planet that had Bowser's summer home on it. The Comet Observatory passed around the star, and sure enough came upon the small fiery planet right where Junior said it would be.
The surface of the planet oozed with lava, and looked quite similar to Bowser's home planet in the center of the universe. There was a castle visible on its surface, with many koopa guards surrounding it.
Rosalina manoeuvred the observatory into a steady orbit around the planet. She looked over at the Koopa Prince who was beside her. "Junior, do you know where Bowser is holding Bella's parents?"
"Yes, they are in the basement dungeon," he replied.
"Would you be able to take me there to see them?"
"Of course, I can take you right to their cells. He replied, a slight hint of a smile on his face There's also a secret corridor I can lead us down so my father won't even know we are there."
"Perfect." The Cosmic Queen turned to the princess. "Bella. Junior and I going to go and make sure your parents are okay. Stay on the Observatory. You'll be safe here."
"But I need to make sure they are okay!" the princess protested fratically.
"It's too dangerous. If Bowser sees you, he won't hesitate to take you as well."
"Okay," Bella sighed, a look of sadness on her face as she finally admitted defeat. "Please just be careful."
"Junior, come on. Let's go," Rosalina said hovering to the exit hatch of the observatory. She pulled out her wand, and created a force field around the two of them. They glided well overhead of the castle, and towards its rear.
"There's the secret entrance," Junior pointed out to the Queen once they had hovered to the back side of the castle.
Rosalina lowered herself and Junior to the ground, the force field dissipating around them. The Koopa Prince led Rosalina to the side of the castle, and hit a lever which opened up a small door to the structure. "Shhhhh," he said as the two entered the castle.
They walked down the passageway for what felt like an eternity, and came right up beside Queen Peach's cell.
"I have an extra set of keys in my room. I'm going to get them and let her out," Junior told Rosalina. "Then we can get Mario, and hopefully, you can all escape without father noticing." The Queen nodded and Junior quickly ran off down the hall of the dungeon, trying to make as little sound as possible.
"Junior is that you? Who are you talking to?" Peach asked from her cell, hearing the Prince's voice. She ran up to the door, and looked through the bars.
"Shhhhh, it's me Peach," Rosalina said, peering in through the bars of the door.
"Rosalina, you found us!" The Mushroom Queen exclaimed.
"Actually, Bella and I found Junior on the planet I was on with luma when I was young. He led us to you," Rosalina replied.
"Where is Bella? Is she okay?" Peach asked, raising her voice, anxiety evident in her speech.
"Yes, she's okay. She's safe on the Observatory with the lumas. Junior and I are going to try and get you and Mario out of here."
Peach smiled. "Thank goodness Rosalina, and bless Junior's little soul." Hope filled the Mushroom Queen's mind. It looked like they were finally going to get out of there.
Suddenly, an ear shattering noise came from upstairs. "JUNIOR!" Bowser roared at the top of his lungs. "What's that noise?"
The prince, who was in his room getting the keys, instantly ran to his father who was in his throne room. "Nothing father. I didn't hear anything."
"I heard a noise coming from the dungeon. I know it," he said, getting up from his seat. Junior tensed up, knowing full well that Rosalina was going to be discovered. He nervously followed Bowser down to the dungeon and around the corridors towards Peach's cell.
The Koopa King turned around the final corner. "Well, well, what do we have here?!" he shouted in a harsh, nasty voice. The Cosmic Queen jumped, and turned around to face the Koopa King, a look of horror and awe on her face.
Bowser let out a loud chuckle. "So, you found the royal couple now, didn't you? Congratulations! It's just too bad that they won't be leaving with you, unless of course you have the girl. Where is she?"
Rosalina narrowed her eyes at the Koopa King, speaking in a soft, but angry voice, "She's not here, and you'd never get her anyways!"
"Oh, there's no need to be so feisty space lady," Bowser laughed. You could have made life easier if you had just brought me the girl. Oh well. Guards!" he shouted.
Many Koopas came running down to where Bowser was located. He turned back to Rosalina. "I hope you don't have any plans, because you are not going to be leaving here, but Mario and Peach will be." The koopas surrounded the Cosmic Queen. "Put her in a cell, and lock 'er up," he growled.
Junior felt sick as he watched the Koopas place Rosalina in her own cell next to Peach's and lock it. It was as if all of the effort he had put into rescuing Bella's parents was in vain. It really hurt knowing he had failed his best friend.
Bowser pulled out a pair of keys and walked over to the Mushroom Queen's cell, opening the door. "You're coming with me my Queen."
"What are you doing? Where are you taking her?" Rosalina demanded, calling from her cell.
The Koopa King laughed. "This was my plan all along. I knew you'd come looking for the royals again and try to rescue them. You fell right into my hands. Now that I got you, Mario and Peach will be mine forever!" He let out a louder laugh. "They are coming with me and this time you won't be around to rescue them anymore or ruin my fun!"
"You'll never get away with this Bowser!" The Star Queen announced.
"I already have! What are you going to do about it?" Bowser asked sarcastically.
Rosalina sat down in defeat. There was nothing she could do.
"Son, you stay here with the prisoner." Bowser ordered. "Make sure she doesn't escape. I've got business to take care of; taking the Royal's home. Then I will come back later and we can deal with this space lady."
"Yes father," Junior replied in a somber, quiet tone.
Rosalina watched helplessly from her cell as Bowser and the Koopas led Peach down the hall. She could hear the sound of the Koopas letting Mario out of his cell, and being forcefully walked down the dungeon corridors towards the exit.
….
Bella was looking out the Comet Observatory's windows at the fiery planet. Rosalina and Junior had been gone for about an hour, and the princess was starting to feel a bit antsy, wondering if they were okay.
All of the sudden, the sight of Bowser leading two people to a Koopa ship caught her eyes. She looked closer, and saw her mother's iconic pink dress and father's red overalls and hat. It was her parents, but where were Junior and Rosalina? Were they in danger?
Bella watched in horror as Bowser led the royal couple onto the ship, many of the castles Koopa guards following behind them. The ship quickly took off, tearing out of the atmosphere of the small planet. The ship quickly passed the Comet Observatory, and out into space again.
"No, this can't be happening. Not again," Bella mumbled to herself. She felt a burning in her throat and felt as if she was going to cry. However, a new thought entered the princess's mind. She hadn't seen Rosalina and Junior get on the ship with Bowser. Maybe they were still in the castle below. She had to go. She had to make sure that they were okay despite Rosalina's instructions
Bella made her way over to the Observatory's hatch. She pulled out her wand and created a force field around herself. She gently floated down to the planet's surface landing in front of the Koopa castle.
She looked around, making sure the area was clear. After a quick search, it appeared that all of the guards had left with Bowser, and the princess quietly hovered right into the castle.
….
Rosalina was devastated. Just minutes before, the sound of a Koopa ship taking off from the planet had echoed through the dungeon. She had gotten up from her cell's bed and looked out the window just in time to see the ship with the royal couple disappear into the planet's atmosphere and out of sight.
The Queen collapsed onto the floor and began to sob, tears flowing down her face. 'This is it, they're gone', she thought. 'I failed; I'll never reunite Bella with her parents now.' The Queen's despair was interrupted by the sound of keys unlocking her cell door. It was Junior.
He quietly opened the door and walked into the cell. "Rosalina, are you okay?" he asked in a low, depressed voice.
The Queen looked up, tears still in her eyes. "They're gone. We looked so long, and they've just vanished again." The Koopa Prince walked up to the Queen and put his arms around her.
"Rosalina, Junior? Where are you?" The sound of Bella's voice echoed through the dungeon.
"Over here," Junior called back. Bella quickly pinpointed where Junior and Rosalina were, and hovered down the dungeon corridors. She came upon Rosalina crying in her cell, and Junior trying to comfort her.
"You're okay," Bella exclaimed floating over to Rosalina and giving her a hug. "I was so worried. I thought Bowser might have hurt you." The Cosmic Queen hugged Bella back.
"He trapped me in here and took your parents; they're gone. I have no idea where they went," Rosalina cried through the hug.
"I know," Bella choked, still hurting on the inside. "I saw Bowser load them on his ship, and then fly right by me."
The Koopa prince thought to himself for a few seconds. "I think I know where he might be taking them," he said. "If I know my father well enough, they should be headed back to the main Koopa castle in the center of the universe."
Bella and the Queen separated and stared at Junior. "Do you really think so?" Rosalina asked, wiping her tears away.
"I'm almost certain of it. I know how to get back to the planet. I've made the journey many times with my father, and can lead you there. It should take about 2 days to get there."
"But how are we going to defeat Bowser and rescue my mother and father?" Bella asked.
"I have an idea," Junior replied. "I'll tell you about it on the way there." Junior grabbed the princess' hand. "Come on Bella; let's go rescue your parents."
….
Bella, Rosalina and Junior were all back on the Comet Observatory. The ship was heading towards the center of the universe in the direction that Junior had told Rosalina the Koopa planet was. Bella, Junior and the Cosmic Queen were in the library sitting on three chairs talking to one another.
"Junior, what's your plan? How are we going to rescue my parents?" Bella asked him.
"We should be on the planet by this evening," Junior responded. "I have a set of keys to the dungeon where Mario and Peach will be, which I will give you two. I plan to run as a decoy to my father so that you can rescue Mario and Peach, and escape back to your home planet."
"It sounds like a good plan Junior," Rosalina said, a smile on her face.
"Just be careful not to make any noise. Father has sensitive hearing. He can hear a pin drop." Junior said, eyeing Rosalina.
The Queen nodded her head. "Agreed," she said. "Peach was not even talking that loud when I found her yesterday, and yet Bowser still discovered me and locked me up. She looked back at the Koopa Prince. I'm lucky that I got out of there at all, thanks to Junior's help."
The Koopa Prince turned over to the princess. "Bella, I need to clear something up with you."
"What's that Junior?" Bella asked curiously, and intrigued look on her face.
"I need to tell you I'm sorry, for everything. All the years that we played together on the special planet, I never knew that Peach and Mario were your parents." His voice quivered as he began to tear up. "When I found out that they were your parents, I couldn't bear to tell you that my father had them locked up against their will for all the years of your life." Tears began to pour down Junior's face, Bella beginning to cry a bit as well.
The prince continued on, though still choking on his words"That's why I stopped seeing you after I found out who you were. I couldn't take the guilt anymore. I hurt you, and I'm really sorry. I have always deeply cared about you. I wish there was some way I could make it up to you."
Bella hovered over to Junior and wrapped her arms around him, and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Junior, you already have. You saved my life when your father wanted to hurt me. That is when I realized how much you truly cared. You are also helping me find my parents again, and for that I am grateful. Of course I forgive you."
The two shed a few more tears, Junior replying, "Thank you Bella. You mean everything to me."
"You mean a lot to me as well Junior," Bella replied, the two releasing from the hug and wiping their tears away. "Let's go and rescue my parents."
A/N: Bowser's hearing really is amazing now, isn't it. Mario and Peach are gone again, and heartbreak ensues for both Bella and Rosalina who will never see the royal couple again… Or will they? Junior comes to the rescue with the new location of the couple! But knowing where Peach and Mario are again is only half the battle… Will they be able to save them once and for all!
The exciting conclusion to the story in the next chapter!